


The Cure for a Lonely Life

by Stacysmash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Curses, Fluff, Guilt, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Modern Supernatural, Polyamory, Supernatural AU - Freeform, True Love, basically Kuroo and all of Karasuno, coffee shop AU, kurodai week day 2: immortality, magical accident, modern magical world, more ships to be added! - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-02-27 18:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18744319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Immortality was a curse. For centuries humans sought after it, any kind of miracle or scam they could buy into. But Kuroo knew better. It was the last thing on his mind when he was a young wizard in training at the Nekoma Academy. He was fascinated by all kinds of subjects, intent on learning everything he could. The world was filled with knowledge and he wanted to soak up all of it. Unfortunately, his research and experimentation were what led to his accident.Kurodai Week Day 2:Immortality/ReincarnationUpdate:Ch 2: Curse of the Guilty Conscience with Oihina and TanaMakiCh 3: Curse of the Frozen Heart with BokuIwaAkaCh 4: Epilogue





	1. A Curse or Blessing?

Immortality was a curse. For centuries humans sought after it, any kind of miracle or scam they could buy into. But Kuroo knew better. It was the last thing on his mind when he was a young wizard in training at the Nekoma Academy. He was fascinated by all kinds of subjects, intent on learning everything he could. The world was filled with knowledge and he wanted to soak up all of it. Unfortunately, his research and experimentation were what led to his accident.

The spell was intended to prolong the life of his dying cat until he could find a more permanent cure. Instead, the experiment exploded in his face… literally. At first, Kuroo thought he cured the cat and lost his eyebrows in the process, but slowly little clues began showing the true extent of the backfired spell. Any injury on his body healed at an alarming rate and as the years crawled by, Kuroo failed to age. His fellow wizards that were the same age as he was started finding gray hairs and wrinkles across their face. Their bodies suffered aches and pains but Kuroo’s body was resilient and unchanging.

The truth seeped into him slowly like a dormant poison. Others praised him for remaining youthful and craved his secret but that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted a life that moved forward with the people he cared about. How could he fall in love if he remained frozen in time while his partner could not?

For over a hundred years, he slaved away in his lab, researching only his own predicament rather than exploring the wonders the world still held. If he could just fix his immortality, there would still be time to enjoy those things. Perhaps with another person by his side. Until then, he didn’t dare grow close with anyone.

He ventured out of his lab occasionally, watching the world transform around him with time. Making new contacts, he soon heard whispers of a fae colony, deep in the forbidden forests. When he was a young child, he was fascinated by many supernatural creatures, particularly the fae. They were reclusive and powerful, holding the ability to break any curse.

When Kuroo began his training at the Academy, he let the fascinating world of the fae fall to the back of his mind. He shrugged off the stories as old wives’ tales told to children to keep them from wandering off in the woods. But he was in desperate need of hope, a hope that would eventually take his life with any luck.

With a new promising direction, he poured all his time into learning about the fae and plotting a journey that would take him to them. There were too many accounts of the creatures to know for sure what they were like or capable of. The only commonality was that they didn’t like visitors and were extremely dangerous. That didn’t scare Kuroo. If they successfully killed him, he would no longer be suspended in time, forced to live a life of isolation. And he would have the chance to see creatures hardly anyone in the world had seen. He’d call that a win-win.

At last the fateful day arrived. Kuroo cleaned up his lab, hid his research away and put a spell on it that would keep it hidden. The spell would last as long as he lived. If he died, looters could have at it. The thought put a smile on his face, imagining thieves wreaking havoc with the powerful knowledge his notes held. As disciplined as he was, he always enjoyed a bit of chaos.

Frozen as his twenty-five-year-old self, his body did well with the long trek through the forest. He still felt fatigued and needed to drink and eat. Starving himself happened once, but it was sheer torture and still didn’t cause his death. He may have wanted to end his immortality, but he didn’t particularly want to suffer for it if he didn’t have to.

There was nothing unusual about the forest at first. There were trees, creeks, birds, and bugs. The earth was soft under his feet and everything smelled fresh, so fresh he couldn’t stop sneezing.

Eventually, the forest began to darken. The canopy grew thick with heavy branches blocking out every fragment of sunlight. Kuroo conjured an orb of light to guide his way, otherwise, it would have been pitch-black. The air was cool and thick, and it made Kuroo feel as if he had walked into a building with no ventilation.

Yet things still managed to grow despite there being no light, although they looked like nothing Kuroo had ever seen. The blossoms and leaves glowed with a bioluminescent light and grew so large, Kuroo thought the flowers could have eaten a cat if they were carnivorous. The way they shifted toward him as he walked by, he began wondering if they were.

Kuroo ducked as a massive bird shrieked and flew over his head. There were two sets of wings on the bird, the feathers emitting a strange light pattern reminiscent of an exotic butterfly. It settled on a branch and glared at him, letting out another squawk that sent shivers down Kuroo’s spine.

_Nothing to be afraid of… you can't die, remember?_

The further he ventured into the strange world, however, the thicker the tension grew in the air. His self-preservation battled with his insatiable curiosity, but above all was his desire to cure himself. He marched forward, following the sphere of light he created, hoping it wouldn’t be too long until he reached his destination.

Excitement thrummed through his veins as more extraordinary creatures and plants came into view. The thought of stopping to study everything passed through his mind. He could live in the forest for years taking samples and writing notes. No mortal had ever dared linger in the forest but perhaps it was time that he took advantage of his curse.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, a sure sign he was being watched and he had the feeling it was no bird. Pretending he didn’t notice, he continued forward with his ears attuned to every little noise around him. At first, he thought the gentle _shushing_ sound was the wind rustling the leaves overhead. As the sound grew louder, he recognized the noise as whispers, soft voices fluttering in the bushes and trees around him.

It made Kuroo’s nerves go haywire and he began walking faster without realizing it. He consistently picked up more speed as he bounded through the forest, sweat pouring down his back. There was no outrunning the whispers. The further he traveled, the louder they became.

Kuroo could no longer hear the strange creatures over the voices and his pounding heartbeat. It had been years since he felt such trepidation and even more since he had run so fast. His lungs were screaming for air, but he didn’t dare stop.

The glow of the brush around him turned into a blur and Kuroo was certain he had already lost his way in the forest. What if he never found the fae? Would he wander around the terrifying forest for eternity?

His foot caught on a vine and suddenly Kuroo toppled forward, face-first into the dirt. When he lifted his head, fluttering his eyes to clear his vision, he realized that his orb of light had gone out and he could hardly see anything. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his face. His emotions had grown numb over the years but at that moment he fought down the desire to cry.

Taking several deep, shuddering breaths, he gazed around and discovered that his eyes had adjusted better to darkness. It was also then that he realized the whispering had stopped entirely. It was almost just as eerie with the lack of it. He could detect the sound of strange birds and bugs making their usual noises and somewhere close by was water babbling in a creek.

For a while, he had no urge to move. The ground was soft underneath him and he was exhausted. There was a strange sense of peace that had settled over him, somehow feeling more alive than he had in decades with how terrified he had been.

_Perhaps there’s more to fear than death._ He had no idea what that was, but the very thought of it was thrilling.

He startled when he noticed a light growing behind several trees. Something was approaching his position, but other than the light it gave no other sign of its presence. Licking his lips nervously, Kuroo reached for the knife at his belt but a cord suddenly wrapped around his wrist, yanking him to his feet.

The cord ended up being a thick vine from the tree next to him and before he could attempt to loosen it, another vine shot from a tree and snatched up his other wrist. Both vines tightened and stretched his arms out tight until he could hardly move. A tickle on his ankles told him that his feet were about to be stuck tight as well.

“There’s no point in struggling, human. The forest will not let go until they are certain you are not a threat.”

Kuroo turned his head in the direction of the deep, rumbling voice, his eyes widening at the ethereal creature walking toward him. He wasn’t obtrusively bright that Kuroo had to squint to look at him. Instead, he radiated a pleasant glow like dying embers in a campfire. The man looked humanish in some ways, but he was clearly not. His skin had a slight wrinkle to it in shades of gold, orange, and crimson as if his body was made up of leaves. If autumn looked like a man, it would be him. A breeze brushed up against Kuroo from the direction of the approaching man, bringing with it the aroma of earth and spices. He inhaled deeply, unable to stop himself from drinking in the man’s presence. It was irresistible and he wanted _more._

The radiant man stopped in front of him, cocking his head as he observed Kuroo closely. Kuroo could perceive an astounding amount of power residing in him, which was astounding when he stood a whole head shorter than Kuroo himself. Kuroo kept his lips shut tight regardless. As much as he wanted to tease the strange being, he had the feeling it wouldn’t end well.

“Who are you?” the being asked finally and Kuroo shivered from his deep voice.

“My name is Kuroo Tetsurou. I’m a wizard and researcher.”

The dark eyes of the being narrowed at him. “You are more than a simple human. You’re a strange one, aren’t you?”

“That’s not very nice. You only just met me!”

“Answer the question,” the man said sternly although his mouth curled up in a smile.

“I’ve come searching for the fae to cure me. I assume you are one?”

“You assume correctly that I am a fae, but I can’t cure you.”

“How do you know? I haven’t told you what I need to be cured of!”

“You obviously know nothing about us, do you?” The radiant man stepped back and looked Kuroo over, his mouth twerked to the side as he thought. Kuroo took the chance to observe him back, admiring the man’s muscular body despite his odd skin. He was hardly clothed, a simple wrap of leaves hanging low on his waist that was hardly long enough to cover the man’s delicious thighs.

“Ahem.”

“What?” Kuroo asked in a high-pitched voice. The being’s smile grew wider with his amusement and he rolled his dark eyes. His face grew serious again as he stepped close to Kuroo, leaning his face dangerously close to Kuroo’s.

“What is it that you really want, Kuroo Tetsurou?”

“I told you, I want to be cured.”

“Of what?”

“Immortality.”

The fae’s face hardened. “Is it death that you seek?”

“Yes, in a way.”

Kuroo gasped as the fae slipped a long knife out of thin air and held it against his throat. The frigid blade pressed into his skin and instinctively Kuroo squeezed his eyes shut, his breaths coming quickly through his nose. They stayed like that for an agonizing minute until the fae hummed and drew back.

“No, you still have a fear of death. What is it that you really want, Kuroo Tetsurou? What your heart truly craves?”

Tears slipped down Kuroo’s cheeks when his eyes fluttered open. His lips trembled as he whispered his answer.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore. All my family, my friends, they’ve all gone ahead and left me behind. I want the warmth of companionship again, for someone to know me and love me without trying to get anything out of it. What good is living forever if you have no one?”

The fae’s expression softened and for a moment Kuroo swore he saw an amber glow shining from his eyes. The vines holding his wrists and ankles fell away and the fae gently took one of Kuroo’s hands, inspecting the wrist closely to make sure he wasn’t hurt. Kuroo was mesmerized by him and he relished the soft touch of the fae’s fingers against his skin. His fingertips felt like a normal man’s but Kuroo wished he could feel what the rest of him was like.

His cheeks grew hot when the fae’s eyes locked with his and he worried that perhaps he could read minds. Whether he could or not, it didn’t look like he minded as he smiled up at Kuroo.

“We do not usually allow outsiders, but you are an interesting person, Kuroo. You can call me Daichi. I will take you to our home and we will discuss what to do with you.”

Kuroo decided very quickly that he preferred following Daichi through the creepy forest more than his own orb of light. For one thing, the air around him seemed to radiate a comforting warmth like sitting in a sunbeam pouring in from a window. More than anything, the view was spectacular and if Daichi glanced over his shoulder, Kuroo could easily pretend he was looking at the path in front of him and not his barely concealed ass.

Daichi was also very willing to answer Kuroo’s questions although he tried to restrain his rampant curiosity until he was certain of Daichi’s limit. He really had no idea what the fae was capable of especially since there was no doubt that he had significant power. As they wandered through the forest, all the plants seemed to thrive in Daichi’s presence. They pulsed with light and released a sensual fragrance that for once didn’t cause Kuroo to sneeze as pollen usually did, allowing him to fully enjoy the effect.

Soon the forest seemed to brighten and Kuroo felt a fresh breeze caress his skin. It was refreshing after being trapped in the thick trees for hours and after walking a little further he started to catch slivers of moonlight slipping through the trees. Boisterous laughter interrupted the serenity of the forest, surprising Kuroo since he expected fae creatures to sound more elegant than that. He stole a glance at Daichi and snorted at the unimpressed look on his face.

“Just to warn you, some of my kin can be a little unruly. They’ll be quite suspicious of you for a while.”

“You’re not suspicious of me?”

“I think I know what you’re capable of and I trust that I can handle it.”

“I like your confidence, Daichi-san.”

Daichi quirked an eyebrow at him and Kuroo gave him an innocent smile back. From the expression on Daichi’s face, he assumed he was unsuccessful at seeming pure-hearted. Regardless of Kuroo’s intentions, Daichi was still sure of himself and laughed as he shook his head. Kuroo had the insatiable desire to poke a bit more at him but he set that aside for later when their path opened up into the clearing.

Kuroo gasped as he paused at the edge of it, unsure if he was awake or had stepped into a dream. Moonlight poured down on the soft, glittering grass and reflected in the rippling waters of a gentle stream. Small bits of light floated everywhere and Kuroo wondered if it was some type of firefly although they seemed much bigger.

“They’re wisps. They are beautiful but be careful you don’t follow them. Usually, that path will end in your death. Then again, perhaps that would work out to your advantage, eh Kuroo?”

Kuroo glared down at Daichi’s widening smirk. _Well, at least the fae have a sense of humor._

Rough fingers snatched into the front of Kuroo’s shirt and yanked him forward. Kuroo cringed as he came face to face to a pair of wild eyes, eerie slender pupils slicing down a sea of amber.

“Who the hell are you?! Some human it looks like, a city boy, huh?!”

“Ryuu, release him.”

The delinquent fae shoved him back with a click of his tongue. Kuroo had expected the fae to look similar but this one seemed like a different species from Daichi altogether. His skin looked like a serpent’s, smooth and scaled of vibrant green and blue. One look at his hands made Kuroo’s stomach queasy, seeing how close he was to being stabbed by Ryuu’s sharp claws. Although he was shorter than Kuroo, Ryuu sneered down at him, beating his bat-like wings furiously to remain hovering in the air.

“Why didn’t you just kill him, Daichi-san?”

“Because I can’t die,” Kuroo answered. Ryuu startled at his response and winced with sympathy, scratching the back of his head.

“Ah, that sucks. Well, I’m sure we can figure some way to kill you off. We’re good at that. Hey, Yuu!” Ryuu shouted and flew off into the trees and out of sight. Daichi huffed out a laugh and pressed his hand against Kuroo’s back to guide him into the clearing.

“Sorry about him. There are a few rascals in our group.”

“Understandable. Do you mind if I jot down some notes?”

“Go right ahead. Somehow I doubt the information will leave the forest.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, most likely you will die here, whether we find a way to kill you soon or many years from now, who’s to say?”

“Any other options?” Kuroo snickered as he fished out his slender notepad from his pocket and began scribbling a few things down. He became so consumed with his observations that he didn’t realize that Daichi hadn’t answered him quite yet.

“You may never want to leave,” Daichi whispered as he walked past him toward the creek, so softly Kuroo wasn’t sure if he heard right. He glanced up from his notebook to watch the fae’s back. Daichi paused beside the crystal waters and reached up into a low-lying branch of a tree. When his hands emerged, he was holding a large round fruit and immediately he sank his teeth into it. Daichi’s eyes closed as he hummed with pleasure, and Kuroo felt his body grow hot as he watched a tendril of juice slip down Daichi’s chin.

“Do you find him attractive?”

“Well, yeah, I think anybody would— Who are you?!” Kuroo suddenly jerked away at the bright person next to him. The new fae beamed up at him and laughed with the delicacy of tinkling bells. As much friendly warmth as he radiated, his skin was cool-toned like Ryuu with silver hair that glittered with miniscule dew drops. His eyes were iridescent and caught the light of the moon like the reflecting waters of the creek. His smile was bright and welcoming, yet somehow Kuroo didn’t trust it one bit.

“You can call me Koushi, I’m Daichi’s best friend.”

“He’s _one_ of my best friends,” Daichi corrected over his shoulder.

“Yeah but I think I’m a little closer to you than Asahi is,” Koushi laughed, waving Daichi off.

“No, actually I typically like him more.”

“You liar! You make fun of him all the time!”

“Just because I tease him doesn’t mean I like him less. He’s more predictable than you are.”

Koushi huffed and some of the dew drops nestled on his skin evaporated into steam. Kuroo was highly amused by the scene and enjoyed the banter between the friends. A pang of lonely nostalgia gripped into his chest, however, and he wondered if he would ever be familiar with anyone like that again. He shook off the negative feelings and pasted a grin on his face, giving Koushi a firm pat on the back.

“And now I’m here, Kou-chan, so I’ll probably be taking over the role of Daichi’s best friend. Sorry about your luck.”

A hearty laugh rumbled through Daichi’s chest and Kuroo only had a moment to enjoy it before his shirt was once again snatched to jerk him forward.

“There’s no way you could replace me! Tch, maybe I’ll let the younger ones eat you after all. Ryuu! Tobio!” Koushi yelled as he released Kuroo and bounded into the forest.

“Wow, does everyone have a temper around here?”

“We are quite a rowdy bunch, although historically I have the worst temper.”

“Seriously?”

Daichi grinned and nodded. “Be wary of Koushi, though. He could make things uncomfortable for you with his gifts.”

“Which would be…?”

“With a wink or a snap of his fingers, he could increase your sexual desire until you are nothing but a puddle soaking into the moss.”

“Ha! Well, I didn’t really find him _that_ attractive.”

“It doesn’t have to necessarily be to him. He can sniff out sexual intent miles away.”

“Ooooh,” Kuroo said with a wince, remembering that he did, in fact, pull Koushi to his side while he was checking Daichi out. Hopefully, that wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

As Daichi introduced him to the rest of the unique fae family, he mentioned that each one of them had certain abilities. The ability to break curses was reserved for the most pure-hearted of fae and in their current group, there was only one. It was also dependent on the curse and some were so frightening and harmful that the fae often refused to break them, hiding in the forest until the cursed person left.

Kuroo didn’t know what to expect as Daichi led him down a curved path to where the curse-breaking fae liked to dwell. He pictured some sort of ethereal being, almost sorrowful with its purity. The area they were walking through seemed anything but melancholy, however, extraordinary blossoms bursting with color everywhere Kuroo looked.

The path emptied into a smaller clearing with a crystal-clear pool with a gentle waterfall spilling into it. A joyful yell rang out and suddenly a blur of bright light slipped over the waterfall and splashed into the water. Daichi and Kuroo scrambled back as the water washed onto the bank and Daichi grunted with displeasure.

“Sorry, he’s pretty wild.”

“I thought he was pure?”

“He’s pure in a way? Shoyou! Get out of there, we have a visitor.”

A face popped out of the water, giant eyes widening under bright flowing hair that looked like fire.

“A visitor?! Hooray! And he didn’t get killed right off!” The little fae burst out of the pool and rushed toward them, not stopping until his face was inches from Kuroo’s. “Wow, he’s a human too! I’m Shoyou, what’s your name? Are you very young? Did you bring anything from the human realm, like snacks?”

“Um, I may have some snacks?” Kuroo said, trying to see Shoyou through squinted eyes. He was already tearing up from the fae’s excruciating brightness. He wondered if he had no control over it or he simply chose to be that way.

“Shoyou, back off a bit and take a deep breath.”

Kuroo’s questions were answered as Shoyou drifted away from him, his light fading as he inhaled deeply. Daichi laughed softly and nudged Kuroo with his shoulder.

“Sorry about that. He loves new people.”

“That’s fine, he’s a cute little guy. Doesn’t seem the type to be a curse breaker.”

Kuroo immediately sensed a change over Shoyou, his light darkening completely as his face fell.

“You’re cursed? You don’t feel cursed.”

“When I was young, I performed a spell that backfired. Now I can’t die, or age, and I heal quickly as well.”

“That doesn’t sound like a curse.”

“You could undo it though, right?”

Shoyou pressed his lips together and approached Kuroo again, his skin glowing a little brighter. He took Kuroo’s hands in his own and stared hard at them, stroking a finger down the lines in his palms.

“Hmm, that’s interesting. I might need some time to work it out, is that okay?”

“Sure! I mean, if it’s alright for me to stay here?” Kuroo asked, stealing a glance at Daichi. He realized abruptly that no one had said Daichi was in charge, yet everything and everyone seemed to revolve around him in a way that it was difficult imagining anyone else being their leader.

Daichi smiled widely at him and nodded. “It should be alright, as long as you don’t step on too many toes. I have a feeling that’s a talent of yours.”

“You know me so well already, Daichi,” Kuroo purred, wiggling his eyebrows. He blinked when leaves forming Daichi’s face began to change, darkening from a deep orange to a crimson.

“I, uh, better inform the others. Shoyou, make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”

“Okay!”

Without another word, Daichi disappeared amongst the trees, leaving Kuroo alone with the floating ball of positive energy.

“I’ve never seen Daichi-san’s face turn colors like that. No wait, that’s not true. One time he was so furious, his whole body turned bright red and smoke came out of his ears. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen!”

“Wow, I’ll do my best not to make him angry!” Kuroo chuckled, trying to picture the sight in his mind.

“Yeah, but he didn’t seem angry then! How did you do that?”

“You’ll find out when you’re older,” Kuroo said as he patted Shoyou’s wild hair, amazed at the softness of it.

“I’m probably several hundred years older than you, so if I haven’t gotten it by now I probably won’t. Are you going to get him to do it again?”

Kuroo glanced back into the forest, seeing no sign of Daichi but picturing his soothing dark eyes and the leaf-like skin he craved to touch.

“Oh yeah, Chibi-chan, I’m going to do everything I can to see _that_ again.”

 

It was strange how easily Kuroo slipped into his new life living amongst the fae. They used to be such a mystery, the only notes on them stating how magnificent they were and powerful. He cackled at the wild antics of the dragon-like fae Ryuu and his buddy Yuu, a nimbus fae that resembled an ever-changing storm cloud. His skin tone changed with the curves of his lean muscles, fading from a pale gray to a deep blue. Whenever his voice was raised, in excitement or anger, fragmented light crackled across his skin like lightning scattering across a supercharged sky.

It was difficult keeping track of those two in particular as they chased each other through the trees. It was worth it as Kuroo ran after them, feverishly taking notes and eventually getting pulled into their antics himself. It wasn’t long before Kuroo tossed all his previous research out the window, realizing that none of the previous researchers had ever observed first-hand what the fae were really like. He almost felt bad for them; interacting with the fae was one of the most entertaining experiences of his life.

Luckily, not all the fae were wild and unruly as Ryuu and Yuu. Asahi was a giant compared to many of them, his thick limbs stretching out like tree trunks. In fact, if he was standing still, basking in the sunlight Kuroo would sometimes mistake him for a tree. He was as strong as he seemed but a gentle soul at heart.

Chikara seemed to be a secondary leader of the group who was so cool-headed he literally had snowflakes floating perpetually around his head. He had the iron-will of Daichi yet also had a stroke of mischief similar to Koushi. Kuroo had no doubt that if Daichi was away, Chikara wouldn’t have any issues keeping their problem children under control.

Kei and Tadashi were best friends and enjoyed subtly making fun of the others. Although Tadashi was a warm soul, Kei liked to keep his distance from most people. He was good at blending in with his surroundings until he stepped out of the cover of the trees. As the moonlight touched his skin, it reflected off him and spread across his skin. Kuroo enjoyed poking fun at him and several of the other younger fae, but nothing brought him more enjoyment than spending time with Daichi and luring new reactions out of him.

Most of Kuroo’s life consisted of writing notes about every aspect of the forest, using up what few notebooks he brought with him. They were messy at first, scribbling things out when one of the fae would correct him on an observation. It was easier when one of the younger fae, a sweet cherry blossom named Hitoka, showed him a way of taking notes that would allow for corrections since he was bound to make more false assumptions.

Kuroo ignored the subtle poke at his lack of knowledge and focused on the positives, mainly that the mysterious fae were even willing to enlighten him. Nearly all of them were pleased to share what they knew, revealing aspects of magic, nature, and the universe that Kuroo couldn’t even comprehend. Even Kei would give him little tidbits about the moon, but the information was always enveloped in sarcasm and delivered with a condescending smirk. Luckily, Kuroo was an expert at deciphering the contextual layers of sarcasm and was grateful for what he could glean from it all while muttering about youths and their bad personalities.

The main issue with living with the fae was how noisy and chaotic it could be. There was yelling and bickering and laughter and shoving each other into pools of water. Sometimes when teaching Kuroo what they knew, they would talk over each other and interrupt until Kuroo was making observations on fae behavior rather than the knowledge they were trying to impart. It was fun and entertaining, but there were moments where Kuroo craved peace and solitude.

As if Daichi could feel his frustration, he slipped beside Kuroo one day and silently motioned for him to follow. Kuroo quickly gathered his notes into his pack and followed Daichi through the trees, his inquisitive nature overpowering his desire to continue working. He had no issues telling the fae he needed some space, but he never felt the need with Daichi. His presence was strong and soothing, and he understood Kuroo’s feelings more than he thought a fae ever could.

Of course, none of that stopped Daichi from chuckling whenever a branch smacked Kuroo in the face or he tripped over roots.

“Careful,” He said as he helped Kuroo back up to his feet. Kuroo glared at the wide grin Daichi was trying to restrain by biting his lip.

“Would it kill you guys to clear a path for once?”

“We have no trouble. It’s not often we’re host to clumsy humans.”

Kuroo gasped dramatically at the jab and Daichi laughed. The trees surrounding them glowed brighter as the joyful sound passed through them and Kuroo was overwhelmed by the pleasant fragrance puffing out of the vibrant blossoms.

_As if he wasn’t charming enough already_ , Kuroo thought as they continued through the dense forest. It wasn’t much further when Daichi led him into a comfortable clearing, the ground covered in thick, soft moss. There were various mounds of different sizes that looked perfect for sleeping on or lounging against. Overhead were several vines stretching between the trees, strewn with delicate blossoms that occasionally showered petals down into the clearing like snow.

“It’s beautiful!”

“Good, you can stay here and work or sleep if you need to get away from the others.”

“You sure they won’t bother me here?”

“Of course not. This is my personal space and they know not to disturb me here.”

Heat poured into Kuroo’s face as he whirled around to face him.

“Huh?! This is your home? Is it okay for _me_ to be here?”

Daichi chuckled and stepped toward him. Kuroo gasped as Daichi’s hand stretched up to touch his face but he didn’t dare move a muscle.

“Why would I bring you here if I didn’t want you here? You can come here whenever you like and stay as long as you need. Your presence is… welcome,” Daichi finished saying in almost a whisper. Kuroo released a breath as Daichi’s fingers stroked across his cheek. He leaned into the gentle touch and immediately Daichi’s eyes flickered with light, turning from a dark brown to warm amber.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the rare solitude to observe the other more closely. Kuroo was fascinated by every detail of Daichi’s face and body, the wrinkle of his skin showing his many different expressions. He even had hair in a way, soft tufts of grass-like blades that Kuroo craved to run his fingers through. The one thing he couldn’t understand was how Daichi seemed just as intrigued by him, a boring human.

Daichi smiled as his gaze traveled down Kuroo’s body until it fell on Kuroo’s arms. He reached out and held Kuroo’s wrist, pulling it ward him to observe it more closely.

“Kuroo… do you know how long you’ve been here?”

“What? I mean, it’s hard to say but I’d guess a couple of months probably.”

A secretive smile spread on Daichi’s lips as he looked back up at Kuroo. “It’s been over a year already.”

“That— that’s impossible.”

“Time moves differently here, and your body doesn’t age, just like ours. Did you even miss the world beyond our forest while you’ve been here?”

“No,” Kuroo whispered immediately. He didn’t need to think back on all his time spent with the fae to remember if there were any moments of homesickness. Home bespoke of his friends, classmates, family, and they were long gone. Instead of making him feel set apart from the world, living with the fae made him feel more a part of it than he’d felt since he was a young man. Their lifelines ran parallel to Kuroo’s instead of veering off in a direction he couldn’t follow. He’d felt more alive than he felt in years, more himself. His mind was bursting with fresh knowledge and he knew he had only scratched the surface.

“Already your body has started to change from living here. Look.”

Kuroo gasped when he looked down at the skin on his forearm as Daichi lifted it higher. Before his skin was pale and he could see slight blue streaks at his wrists and inside his elbow where his veins were prominent. Kuroo hadn’t even noticed his skin turning an ashy gray and the veins carrying his blood were starting to shine with a strange light.

“What’s happening to me? Am I turning into a fae?!”

Daichi laughed and shook his head. “No, that’s impossible. This place will change you more though until a regular human couldn’t tell you apart from one of us. If this bothers you, it might be time for you to break your curse and go back to the world you came from.”

Kuroo’s body turned to ice at the suggestion. It was what he came to do, to fit back into the world as a regular human and maybe get a job as a professor at the academy. His original plan held no interest for him anymore. He knew no one in that world except for a handful of contacts that didn’t care about him at all.

As he thought about it, Daichi kept his face down, hidden from Kuroo’s view. He was silent as he stroked his thumb over Kuroo’s skin, trailing his iridescent veins. Though his acquaintance with Daichi has been as short as a year (feeling even less than that), the thought of leaving him churned in Kuroo’s stomach.

Kuroo took a deep breath to bolster his courage and slowly brought his hands to Daichi’s face, giving the fae plenty of time to pull away if he wanted. Daichi froze, so still that Kuroo was certain he was holding his breath as well. He licked his lips nervously as he finally pressed his palms against Daichi’s skin and gently lifted his face, so he could see it properly. His expression was difficult to read. It was mainly vacant except for the slight pinch of his eyebrows and his lips were pressed tighter than usual.

“Daichi… can I stay?”

All the tension in Daichi’s face melted away as he let out a breath. “If that’s what you want, I’m fine with you staying.”

“Oh, just fine with it? Are you sure you’re not _really_ looking forward to it?” Kuroo purred as he leaned in closer. Daichi glared up at him but didn’t deny it. His angry expression remained even as Kuroo chuckled and leaned in even further until their lips brushed together. Daichi growled in his throat and melted into the kiss. Kuroo wasn’t sure if he was planning on biting him or going along with it, but he felt like it was worth it to take the chance.

He had no idea what to expect from kissing him, what his lips and skin would feel like. Surprisingly, they were softer than he thought they would be and moved in the same way a human’s would. Although Daichi’s skin was soft, it didn’t feel weak either. Kuroo couldn’t resist trailing his hands down Daichi’s neck and slipping across his shoulders as he pressed deeper into the kiss.

Daichi’s body was as strong as it seemed and Kuroo couldn’t wait to test how powerful he was, perhaps with a playful wrestling match. He cracked an eye open to gauge Daichi’s reactions and was pleased to see that he wasn’t scowling any longer. His face was turning red again, but he didn’t seem as embarrassed as before. He seemed almost anxious to do more but was still hesitant, curling his fingers in the front of Kuroo’s shirt instead of touching Kuroo himself.

Kuroo pulled away from the kiss to catch his breath, keeping his arms wrapped around Daichi to keep him from escaping. The flush in Daichi’s face spread back to his ears and down his neck, and he tried turning away from Kuroo to hide it.

“Daichi,” Kuroo said softly, luring Daichi’s gaze back to him. “What is it that you want?”

“Why does that matter?”

“It matters to me.”

Daichi’s eyes flickered with amber light as he searched Kuroo’s face. He reached up and circled his arms around Kuroo’s neck, pulling them closer as he cocked his head to align their lips for another kiss. He paused just before they touched, his warm breath shuddering against Kuroo’s face.

“I want you to see your mistake as a gift rather than a curse. More than anything, I want you to stay here with me. I guess that’s pretty selfish of me, right?”

“Maybe a little, but I don’t mind. After all, it was never death I wanted but a companion. Do you think you could suffer my presence for eternity, Daichi?”

“I think I’ll manage,” Daichi laughed softly and lifted himself on his toes. They hummed into the kiss and pressed their bodies together. Kuroo’s mind grew hazy from the comforting warmth of Daichi’s body and he wouldn’t have been surprised if he never again experienced what it was like to feel cold.

For over a century, Kuroo was lost and unsure of where he fit in, what he should do with himself. Suddenly all the random questions began fitting together, answering each other like a complete puzzle. Wrapped up in Daichi’s arms, kissing him in the forbidden forest of the fae, he had no more doubts and no longing to be anywhere else. He was finally free.

 


	2. The Curse of a Guilty Conscience

“Oh my god, Makki!! What is that?!”

“I would say that’s a leaf.”

“It’s glowing! This place is so amazing, I never want to leave!” Oikawa cried breathlessly, snapping endless pictures on his phone of every plant, insect, and bird he could find.

Hanamaki had to admit it was mesmerizing. After traveling to exotic locations around the world for his job as a journalist, he never would have imagined a place such as the Forbidden Forest of the Fae. Most people thought it was a myth and yet there they were, standing among trees that were unidentifiable and staring at birds so colorful he thought he was tripping on acid.

Tearing his eyes away to give them a break, he winced as he glanced above him to see only a sliver of sky visible from the thick canopy above.

“Hey, you should ease up on those pictures or you’ll drain your battery. Our solar charger won’t be able to work the further in we get.”

“Calm down, I’m sure it’s not much further. Besides, how many people have even made it this far?”

“It’s hard to say considering hardly any make it out alive.”

“Exactly! We need to document as much as possible.”

“Good, so if we make it out, we can influence a bunch of assholes to charge into this place and destroy it.”

“Nonsense! We’ll only share our findings with the Academy for research purposes.”

“And with my readers.”

Oikawa finally lowered his phone and glanced at him from over his shoulder. “What do you mean your readers, didn’t you quit?”

“No, why would I?”

“Then how did you not get fired? We don’t know how long we’ll be out here.”

Hanamaki shrugged. “My boss was thrilled one of his employees was finally idiotic enough to make this journey. If I die, he’ll replace me. If I come back, I’ll have some kick-ass stories.”

“You should get a better job, one that values you more.”

“No way, my job’s amazing. Better than working in a creepy dark room with other conspiracy theorists.”

“We’re not conspiracy theorists! We do legitimate research!”

“Research about aliens.”

“Makki, with all the unexplainable things in this world, how can you just deny their existence? Look! That frog has glowing spines all over it!”

“No shit,” Hanamaki whispered and they both crouched over it, their heads craning around to look at it from every angle. “You think it’s poisonous?”

“Touch it.”

“ _You_ touch it!”

“Shhh, you’ll disturb it!”

“Actually, those are barbs. Talk any louder and he’ll probably shoot them out at you, penetrating your skin and inserting a light toxin that will induce you into a coma, where you’ll probably die because something will surely come along and eat you.”

“Really? That’s amazing,” Oikawa whispered as they both leaned back a bit. It took them a minute to realize that it was neither of them that had spoken and when they had, they jumped several feet to see a strange looking man leaning against the trunk of a tree.

“Who are you?!” Hanamaki screeched, his arms wrapping around Oikawa who immediately hugged him back.

“Don’t you mean _what_ are you? Oh my god, are you a fae?!”

The man’s eyebrows raised up and a sly grin lifted on his lips. He had many characteristics of a human, but Hanamaki had never seen anything like him. His skin was an ashy gray with luminous streaks across it like liquid moonlight. He was lithe and just a bit taller than them, wearing only a pair of tattered shorts that looked like they used to be pants.

His eyes were eerie but beautiful, the deep gray-blue shifting constantly like the waves of the sea. The most human aspect of him was his hair, but even that seemed odd as it sprayed out everywhere and fell down in front of one of his eyes. Both Oikawa and Hanamaki stared at him until the man grinned even wider and took a step closer, causing them to flinch.

“Calm down, I’m not going to hurt you. I just saved your life, after all. You should be grateful!”

“Thanks,” Hanamaki mumbled and the man huffed out a laugh.

“To answer your question, my name is Kuroo Tetsurou. To answer your second and more impertinent question, I’m a human, _obviously_.”

“What do you mean obviously! No human looks like that!”

Kuroo scrunched his nose at Oikawa and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You say that, but what human wears clothes like that?”

“Plenty of humans!”

“Seriously? How long have I been here if _that’s_ in fashion?”

“Oh no,” Hanamaki interrupted, stepping forward with his hand up. “This is definitely not in fashion. This is just Oikawa’s interpretation of trekking gear. What I’m wearing is more normal.”

“Ah, that makes more sense,” Kuroo nodded as he appraised Hanamaki’s attire.

“But honestly, you don’t look human. See?”

Hanamaki slipped his phone out and took a picture of Kuroo. When he turned it around to show him, his ocean-eyes widened, and he snatched Hanamaki’s phone out of his hands. He stared hard at the picture and rotated the phone in his hands to see it from every angle.

“Is this a tiny computer?”

“It’s a phone.”

“What?! Why would a phone take pictures? Phones are for calling people.”

“You sound like a grandpa. How long have you been here?”

“That depends. What year is it?”

“2019.”

“No shit! I guess I’ve been here for around thirty years?”

“You don’t even look thirty,” Oikawa murmured as he took a closer look at Kuroo.

“A minute ago, you didn’t even think I was human. I forgot my body’s changed a lot since living here.”

“So, the environment has an impact on your genetic code?! Ahhh this is so exciting!” Oikawa shrieked as he whipped out a notepad and began jotting it down. Kuroo glanced up from the phone and smiled fondly at Oikawa.

“You seem like an inquisitive pair and I admire you for even making it this far. What academy did you study at?”

“Aoba Johsai. We both went there but went into completely different fields.”

“Nice! That was a good school back in my day. I graduated from Nekoma.”

“Oh, I have friends from Nekoma. What year did you graduate?”

“1882.”

“Ha ha, no seriously.”

Kuroo’s grin stretched wide again, showing a row of gleaming teeth. “I am serious.”

Oikawa and Hanamaki gaped at him and slowly maneuvered around to look at him from all angles like they had the frog.

“Does this forest have regenerative properties?!” Oikawa whispered loudly, daring to poke a finger at Kuroo’s skin and yelped when it was flicked away.

“Cut it out and… I’m not quite sure. Sorry to disappoint you, but I was an oddity before I ever came to the forest. Which is why I was accepted as one of their own.”

“ _Their_? As in the fae?”

“Yeah, fae. Speaking of which, why are you both here? Is this just a research exhibition or are you here to find the fae?”

“The research is just a perk of the situation, the truth is… we’re here on an important mission.”

“Can you be more specific?”

Oikawa bit his lip as he shared a look with Hanamaki. Their reason for trekking through the forest was far more personal to them than a mere research trip and there was a lot riding on the outcome. Hanamaki nodded and Oikawa sighed with resignation as he turned back to Kuroo.

“It’s my best friend. He was cursed several years ago, and we haven’t found any way to lift it.”

“Ah… I see. So, your last option is going to the fae to lift the curse, based on old research that was never based on first-hand experience or observation?”

“Well, yeah. We had no other choice.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think you’re going to get what you need. The fae aren’t expert curse breakers, that’s not how their abilities work.”

“No, we have to try! There must be something we can do!”

Kuroo may have looked strange to them, but the empathy he felt was evident as he reached out to pat Oikawa’s head. “I know it’s hard to accept. I came here looking for the same thing and was crushed when I discovered the truth. But sometimes when we can’t get what we’re looking for, something even better is given to us.”

“Ugh, this isn’t about me! I know I’m excited about the forest and the creatures, but this is all for Iwa-chan. I can’t go home until I’ve found a way to cure him.”

Oikawa sniffed as he wiped a stray tear on his sleeve. Kuroo’s eyebrows pinched together as he continued patting Oikawa’s head as if he was a weeping child, but Oikawa didn’t seem to mind it.

Hanamaki’s chest ached at the scene. It was hard enough dealing with the curse put on one of their closest friends and watching him live with it for years; it was even worse watching the guilt destroy Oikawa.

Hanamaki blinked as the forest subtly changed around them. There wasn’t any more sunlight than there was before, yet everything seemed brighter as colorful blossoms stretched wide and released a calming fragrance. Kuroo seemed to notice it too as his body relaxed and he smiled.

“I didn’t think you’d come out here yourself.”

“I was observing, and I couldn’t resist,” a deep, rumbling voice answered. Hanamaki and Oikawa glanced around until they spotted him, gasping in awe. They hadn’t seen him at first because he looked like part of the forest itself. His body seemed to be made of leaves, the deep, regal hues of autumn. A breeze blew past them, ruffling through his grass-like hair.

Neither of them could tear their eyes away. The strange being seemed to radiate light and heat, bathing them in it as he drew near. Hanamaki was certain that he was no human, despite the confusion with Kuroo. He could tell the being was hoarding more power inside him than any of them combined, both magical and physical if his muscles were any indication.

“Hey! Keep your eyes up here, pink-head,” Kuroo called to him with a sharp look and gesturing toward the fae’s eyes.

“Sorry! He’s just amazing.”

The leaves making up the fae’s cheeks tinted with red and Hanamaki was immediately struck by how cute it was. As a result, Kuroo glared even harder at Hanamaki as he wrapped an arm around the fae’s shoulders and pulled him in close. The fae sighed and shook his head but didn’t pull away.

“I’m sorry about Tetsu. We rarely get visitors, so he’s not used to sharing me with anyone.”

“Who said anything about _sharing_?!”

“I’m not going to make love to them if that’s what you’re so concerned about. Calm down.”

“Hmph.”

“My name is Daichi. I guess you could say I’m the leader of this group of fae.”

“ _This_ group? Does that mean there are more?!” Oikawa gasped, his tears temporarily forgotten as he quickly jotted down more notes.

“In other parts of the world. What Tetsu said was true; we have many abilities, but curse breaking was just a rumor. We do have one with that specific ability, but it is problematic and should be avoided at all cost.”

“Please, can we speak with him at least?”

Daichi frowned as he stared at both of them in turn. The look made Hanamaki feel exposed, but he didn’t flinch knowing how important this was to both of them. He hadn’t been friends with Iwaizumi as long as Oikawa had, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do anything for him. At last, Daichi sighed and grabbed Kuroo’s hand as he started back into the forest.

“Follow me. I will allow you to meet him.”

Hanamaki gave Oikawa a playful nudge on the shoulder to encourage him to follow the strange looking couple. Oikawa flashed him a smile and marched after them, but Hanamaki knew the confident expression was fake. They had survived the forest so far and had the monumental opportunity of meeting the fae in person. But the heart of the mission was always curing Iwaizumi and Hanamaki felt that their efforts were to be in vain.

As Hanamaki had predicted earlier, the sun was eventually cut off from view because of the thick canopy above them. Glancing around at the forest, it seemed like it would only get darker the further they walked, so he decided to save his phone power for only the necessities. It was hard to resist pulling it out and snapping pictures, especially when mysterious lights began appearing amongst the trees. He tripped several times when he was staring at them instead of the path in front of him. Luckily, he was able to remain on his feet with his hand gripping onto Oikawa’s jacket.

“Makki! Cut it out, this was expensive.”

“Sorry, I just don’t want to fall.”

“It’s not _that_ dark.”

“Yeah, but aren’t they amazing?”

“Huh? What is?”

“Those lights.”

“What? Oh…”

They both stopped when one light appeared just off their path, so close they could almost see the silhouette of a tiny body from inside its luminous aura. Hanamaki couldn’t even blink as they leaned toward it, his mind growing hazy from its hypnotizing beauty. They both yelped when someone gripped their jacket collars and yanked him backward.

“Snap out of it, you two. If I hadn’t noticed you stopped, you’d probably be dead by now.”

Hanamaki and Oikawa blinked owlishly at Kuroo, their brains still muddled with confusion. Kuroo clicked his tongue as he released them and held out his hand toward the light. Their mouths hung slack as the light blinked out of existence and reappeared above Kuroo’s palm.

“This is a wisp. They’re pretty and cute, but don’t be fooled. Kenma loves to murder unsuspecting adventurers. It’s like a game to him.”

“Kenma? It has a name?”

“Of course, he does. He’s my best friend,” Kuroo said proudly as he eased the wisp onto his shoulder. “But seriously, don’t stare at them or they’ll lead you off a cliff or something. Come on.”

Hanamaki pouted, feeling a strange sense of loss that he couldn’t stare at the lovely little wisp any longer. He trusted Kuroo, however, and obediently trudged after the others, keeping his eyes on Oikawa’s back and ignoring the alluring lights in his peripheral vision.

All his disappointment faded when they finally reached the end of the path that opened up into a clearing. He stopped next to Oikawa and gasped at the sight. The sunlight poured in and glittered off the waterfall at the end where several faes were playing together. They were surprised to find that none of them looked the same, each of them having their own characteristics. Daichi went on ahead to speak with his friends about what they were doing there, but Kuroo stayed with them as he chuckled at them.

“I wonder if that’s what my face looked like when I first arrived.”

“Are we the first to visit since?” Hanamaki asked as Oikawa ventured further in to take a million pictures.

“To visit _here_ , yes. A few have tried going through the forest but either chicken out or die. You guys are lucky!”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Cheer up!” Kuroo encouraged him as he gave Hanamaki a hard slap on the back. “This is an amazing experience, even if you’re not able to cure your friend.”

“This is the chance of a lifetime,” Hanamaki agreed as he gazed at the beauty around him. “To go back without a cure though, it would feel like we’re giving up on Iwaizumi.”

Daichi turned and summoned them forward and Hanamaki’s stomach squirmed with sudden jitters. One fae was massive with gnarled limbs like a tree and had an extremely intimidating aura. In front of him, however, was a much smaller one with delicate sakura blossoms fluttering off her that perfectly suited her kind smile and put him more at ease.

“These are the two humans we found in the forest. Sorry, what were your names?”

“My name is Oikawa Tooru, and this is Hanamaki Takahiro. We came in search of a cure for our friends’ curse.”

All the fae flinched at Oikawa’s words and began whispering amongst each other. One fae swooped forward and landed in front of them, his reptilian appearance and brash demeanor startling Hanamaki completely.

“And you let them come, Daichi-san? It’s always the same story, someone’s cursed, and they want us to fix their lives when it’s not our problem.”

Hanamaki wanted to argue the point, but he was still distracted by the belligerent fae’s wings flapping behind him. His skin was a dazzling mixture of blue and green and as he stared closer, Hanamaki could see that it was scaled. All he wanted was to reach out and graze his fingers over him, but the fae’s intense eyes and sharp teeth were enough to change his mind.

“It’s for their friend that they came all this way and I knew they wouldn’t be satisfied until they saw for themselves that there was nothing we can do. If Yuu was sick or hurt, wouldn’t you go to the ends of the earth for him?”

“Hmph, fine. But it won’t do them any good.”

“We don’t mean any harm,” Oikawa assured him, glancing to Daichi for assistance. “Iwa-chan’s my best friend and it’s my fault he was cursed. I would do anything for him.”

Oikawa’s honesty seemed to soften the fae and they hummed their sympathy although one near the back rolled his eyes before closing them, pretending to fall back asleep. The rest came a little closer, asking Oikawa questions and observing them as much as Oikawa and Hanamaki were observing the fae. They were all radiantly colorful, each one different yet still retaining an equal beauty. From amongst them, however, one fae floated through them like a shining beacon of light.

Beside Hanamaki, Oikawa gasped when he saw him, the golden light of the being reflecting in his brown eyes. He stepped forward without fear, drawn to the small fae like a moth to a flame. Hanamaki hung back to watch, feeling like he was intruding on an intimate moment.

The fae had wild flowing hair like licks of flame above a surprisingly innocent face. Joy and excitement seemed to flow off him like an aura even as he gave Oikawa a sympathetic smile.

“Hi… my name’s Shoyou.”

“Shoyou,” Oikawa whispered reverently, smiling back at him. “I’m Oikawa.”

“Oikawa-san! I’m happy to meet you, I love meeting new people! I’m sorry about your friend… I am the only one with the ability to break curses, but they always come at a cost. Can I ask what kind of curse it is?”

“One that keeps him from falling in love, the Frozen Heart Curse.”

Shoyou gasped and flinched away as if just hearing the words had physically hurt him. Oikawa opened his mouth to say more, but Shoyou shook his head frantically and flew away.

“Oikawa, I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done,” Daichi said, patting his shoulder. “You and Hanamaki can stay for a few days to recuperate, but when you’re ready you should return to your friend and give him what comfort you can. Friendship can be a great balm to many troubles, even with such a curse.”

It seemed at first that Oikawa didn’t hear him. He looked absolutely crushed that Shoyou flew away from him. Whether it was the final blow that they couldn’t help Iwaizumi or the loss of the little fae’s presence that upset him, Hanamaki wasn’t sure.

Kuroo came up on the other side of Oikawa and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, buddy. I’ll pull out some of my research for you to glean through, that’ll perk you up!”

“Okay,” Oikawa murmured, his shoulders drooping from the weight of his defeat. Daichi and Kuroo shared a look and nodded. Together, they led Oikawa away, whispering encouragements that went ignored by Oikawa’s sorrow.

The other fae drifted away as well, carrying on their regular activities of wandering through the forest or playing in the clear pool. Soon, the atmosphere was just as lively as before with no more talk of humans and curses. Hanamaki, however, remained still with his arms folded as dark thoughts invaded his mind.

When he had joined Oikawa on their adventure, it was mainly to keep his friend safe and focused rather than trying to find a cure for Iwaizumi. He never really believed they’d be able to find it but there was no way he’d tell Oikawa that. Iwaizumi had been living with the curse for several years already and to Hanamaki, he didn’t seem that different. Occasionally, he’d rub his chest with a grimace but that could have just been indigestion.

The curse didn’t keep him from loving his family or friends, so there was no reason he couldn’t be happy. Iwaizumi himself seemed resigned to live with it but for some reason, Oikawa couldn’t. And he _did_ have a reason; he just refused to tell Hanamaki or Matsukawa.

Hanamaki blinked as several gusts of hair wafted past him and the heat of someone’s gaze made his spine tingle. He glanced next to him, meeting a set of intense amber eyes. It was the fae that reminded him of a dragon, beautiful scaled skin and a temper as sharp as his teeth.

It was obvious by his expression that he was trying to intimidate Hanamaki. His wings were spread wide to make himself look larger and he was sure to smile with his fangs showing. Little did the fae know that Hanamaki found that kind of thing adorable.

“What’s your name, cutie?”

“Who the hell are you calling cutie?!”

“I’m going to call you that until you give me something else to call you.”

“The name’s Ryuu.”

“Ryuu… Hm, that’s nice. I’m Hanamaki.”

“Bit of a mouthful.”

“You don’t like having your mouth full?”

“Huh?”

Hanamaki snickered, already feeling better teasing the innocent and temperamental fae. It sparked a sudden desire in him to enjoy his time among the fae as much as he could.  Perhaps getting a fun, whirlwind romance out of the deal. After all, who could say they’ve seduced a fae?

He turned toward Ryuu and looked him over more closely, daring to graze his finger down the impressive muscles on display.

“Oh! Your skin is pretty smooth. You’re kind of hot, aren’t you?”

“Pfft, of course, I am!” Ryuu bragged as he exhaled a puff of smoke. Hanamaki snickered at the misunderstanding although he was impressed.

“Let me rephrase; I think you’re sexually appealing. Is it just smoke you got in there or can you also breathe fire?”

“Wait! Y-You think I’m… _sexually appealing_?” Ryuu asked in a whisper, glancing around to make sure no one else was around. Hanamaki leaned in and cupped his hand around his mouth.

“Yes. Is that okay?”

Ryuu winced and wrapped his wings around his body. “I guess so. You should know that I only have eyes for Kiyoko-san.”

“Who’s Kiyoko-san?”

Ryuu pointed at the side of the pool where a stunning fae was lounging on a rock. She was twirling her fingers above the pool, manipulating the water to swirl up into the air and dance around her.

Hanamaki let out a low whistle. “Wow, it’s hard to compete with _that_. How long have you two been together?”

“Oh no! We’re not together, it’s impossible!”

“What? You just said you only had eyes for her.”

“Yes, I _love_ her! A long time ago I asked her to be my mate, but she said no immediately.” Hanamaki coughed to cover up his laugh. “Sorry, continue.”

“There’s nothing left to say. Since then I just love her from afar and protect her from anyone trying to bug her.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is. Does that mean you’re a virgin?”

“That’s none of your business!”

“Definitely a virgin. Listen, just throwing this out there, but I’m pretty good at the whole looooove making ritual,” he purred as he gently pulled apart Ryuu’s wings and slipped his arms around his broad shoulders. “I don’t think you’d be betraying anyone if you’d let me show you a nice time.”

“Um, I don’t know. I just met you.”

“You’re right, I probably shouldn’t just jump in bed with the first fae I meet. How about we get to know each other and see where it goes?”

“Aren’t you leaving in a few days?”

“I have the feeling we’ll be here for a bit longer than that.”

“Well, I guess I could show you around. At the very least.”

“Great! Just remember, it might be hard for me to keep up on these two legs of mine. I don’t have sexy wings like you do.”

Ryuu laughed as he spread his wings out far, giving them a forceful flap to show off. “Don’t worry about it. These _sexy_ wings can handle quite a bit.”

“What do you _MEAN?!_ ” Hanamaki screamed as Ryuu slipped his arms underneath him and lifted his lanky body into a bridal hold. With a kick off the ground, they both shot into the air with unbelievable ease. Hanamaki clung to Ryuu, peering over his shoulder as his heart raced out of control.

“What’s wrong? Is the little human afraid of heights?” Ryuu’s raspy voice tickled his ear, causing his heart to beat even faster.

“You realize I’m taller than you, right?”

“Uh-oh, I think you’re slipping.”

“What?!” Hanamaki screeched and scrambled for an even tighter hold. Ryuu threw his head back with a boisterous laugh. Hanamaki pouted for a moment but his smile edged through as he soaked in the joyful sound.

He cautiously looked around as they weaved through the intertwining branches and felt almost nauseous by the blur of colors surrounding them. He felt like Alice wandering into a wonderland, but luckier since she didn’t have a breathtaking fae with rippling muscles flying her around.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I don’t know! Just thought we’d fly around a bit until I find something interesting.”

“It’s hard to imagine this place becoming more interesting.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Hanamaki’s face grew warm as Ryuu’s eyes met his. Despite the sharp teeth, he felt the itch to lean in and kiss him. But Ryuu seemed like such a pure-hearted individual, he was able to resist… for the time being.

Ryuu’s eyes lit up suddenly and he grinned widely at Hanamaki. “I got it!”

“You got what?”

“An idea, what I want to show you. Hold on!”

Hanamaki yelped as Ryuu kicked off a branch to give him a boost and he veered to the right. On their new path, the trees dulled in color and the branches grew thicker and more twisted. There weren’t as many birds or lizards either, giving Hanamaki an eerie feeling.

“Are you sure you’re going the right way?”

“What’s wrong? You scared?”

“Pfft, no.”

“Riiiight,” Ryuu laughed. “It’s alright, I’ll protect you. We’re nearly there.”

Hanamaki released a long breath, feeling calmer from Ryuu’s teasing. As much as he’d rather be the one riling up the other, he didn’t mind being the butt of the joke as a distraction. Even as they stopped and hovered above a barren clearing with a large, ominous crack in the earth, Hanamaki felt assured by Ryuu’s warm presence.

Slowly they sank down, Ryuu’s eyebrows knitted together with concentration. It didn’t seem easy to maneuver them straight down or to avoid the sides of the crack as they descended into pitch-black. Hanamaki gulped and whirled his head around, but the only light in the space was filtered from above, shining like a flashlight onto the rocky bottom of the cave. There was something about the air that gave him the impression that the space was enormous, and he wasn’t sure if that was more frightening or less.

At last, Ryuu set them gently on the ground and set Hanamaki on his feet. A wave of cold air washed over him in the absence of Ryuu’s skin against his and he shivered.

“What are you doing?” he asked, watching Ryuu scurry around as he searched for something on the ground.

“Looking for something to light, so you can see.”

“Oh, well I can do that.”

“Huh?”

Hanamaki murmured a set of familiar words. He rubbed his palms together, sensing the tingle of magic between them, and lifted them into the air. Several orbs of light sprang from his hands and spread out, drifting toward the edges of the cave.

“Nice! Is that human magic?”

“Yeah… how big is this place?”

“Uh, big.”

Hanamaki snickered. “Well, you can’t be impressive in every way.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?! Wait, you think I’m impressive?”

Hanamaki laughed harder, unable to decide if he was going to tease Ryuu more or lavish him with compliments. Something happening across the cave lured his attention away before he could decide and he turned to face it, his jaw dropping with a gasp.

One of his lights had finally approached the wall of the cave, shimmering off smooth and jagged surfaces and reflecting back every kind of color he could imagine. The other lights were approaching the other walls and bursts of colors trickled over the rocks.

It felt like he was an insect caught in a child’s kaleidoscope. He would have expected the cave walls to reflect one color, or at least similar shades. But every stalactite and smooth curve of stone radiated something different, like wildflowers in a meadow.

“How is this possible?” Hanamaki whispered, unable to even blink as he rotated in the center of the cave.

“I dunno.”

Hanamaki paused and looked back at him. Ryuu gazed around him with unfettered pride, admiring the beauty just as much as Hanamaki was. It was only when Hanamaki began to laugh that Ryuu’s attention was shaken.

“What?”

“Nothing, you’re just amazing.”

“I am not.”

“Yeah, you are. Can you at least tell me how you found it?”

“A few years ago, I got lost. I came out of the trees and some dang bird collided with me and I fell in the crack. Luckily, I caught myself and slowed my fall before I landed at the bottom. It’s a nasty drop.”

Hanamaki covered his mouth with his hand and pinched his cheeks, trying to relieve them from the ache of smiling so hard. Daichi and Kuroo had mentioned all the fae had individual powers and he had to wonder if Ryuu had the ability to lift anyone’s spirits, even at their lowest. The most endearing part about it was how natural it was for him.

“Hey, Ryuu… can I kiss you?”

“Huh? Why?!”

“Because I want to thank you for this.”

“You can just thank me, you know.”

Hanamaki beamed as he walked toward Ryuu, every step making the fae more nervous as he scratched his bald head.

“Okay, I want to thank you _and_ kiss you. I promise you’ll like it.”

Once he was in range, Hanamaki reached out and stroked his fingers across Ryuu’s cheek, admiring the silky surface of his scales. Slowly, Ryuu’s lips curled up as he leaned into the touch.

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

Hanamaki cupped his face and leaned in, tenderly brushing their lips together. Ryuu’s lips were different than a human’s, harder and less pliant. He didn’t mind it, but he hoped that they were just as sensitive to kisses as his lips were. The smoky taste on Ryuu’s breath was intoxicating and he couldn’t resist pushing harder into it and opening his mouth wider.

He wrapped one of his hands around Ryuu’s waist, pulling their bodies together. There was no resistance to the action, and he could feel Ryuu’s body shiver with pleasure. When a hot tongue slipped into his mouth, Hanamaki squeaked with surprised.

Ryuu broke off the kiss with a laugh, giving his tongue a playful flick between his teeth. “You thought you were just going to carry me away, didn’t you?”

“I thought I’d try.”

“Honestly, I almost let you,” Ryuu admitted, reaching a hand up to slip his fingers through Hanamaki’s hair. “You’re kinda pretty, aren’t you?”

“As pretty as Kiyoko?”

“Nah.” Their burst of laughter spread out through the cave, radiating off the rock walls like the shimmering colors. “But you’re alright. Wanna explore a little more?”

“Yes, please.”

Ryuu puffed out his chest and fanned his wings out. Hanamaki chuckled and wrapped his arms around Ryuu’s neck, expecting him to pick him up the same way as last time. Instead, Ryuu’s arms hooked under his butt and lifted him straight on, bringing their lips to a tempting distance.

“Hold on tight,” he whispered, a stream of smoke slipping around his sharp teeth. He grinned even wider as Hanamaki coughed when the smoke hit his face. His grip tightened around Hanamaki and he kicked off the ground, soaring deeper into the caverns and into the dark unknown.

 

***

Oikawa squinted, trying to decipher Kuroo’s loose script scrawled across the little bit of paper. “I appreciate you letting me look at your research, Kuroo-san, but your handwriting sucks.”

“Well, excuse me! Most of these were written after I first arrived, and I was excited.”

“I don’t blame you for that. Do you miss it?”

“Hm? Miss what?”

“The rest of the world outside the forest.”

At Kuroo’s silence, Oikawa glanced over the paper to see his companion pondering the question with a solemn frown.

“I’m not sure I’d even recognize the world now that I’ve been here so long. Before I left, it was already meaningless since everyone I loved was dead and gone.”

“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”

“It was. I know people crave immortality but without companionship, it’s pure torture.”

“It’s not so bad now though, right?”

Kuroo’s eyes swirled with a strange kind of light as he smiled. “Yeah… It’s quite perfect now. That’s why you should carve out a little time in your meager existence for love.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“How can I when my best friend has no choice?”

“And if your best friend could hear you talk like that, what would he say?”

Oikawa sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “That I’m being an idiot.”

“Wise man.”

“Whatever, don’t you have something to do other than babysit me with your research?”

“Nah, it’s way too much fun bugging you.”

Oikawa scrunched his nose up and looked over their makeshift table of a fallen tree and the piles of papers and books strewn across it. “Is this all your notes?”

“No, just as much as I could carry.”

“Why even bother? You could have just taken me to your research instead of lugging it to me.”

“I’m not going to do that! That area is off limits.”

“Why?”

Kuroo rolled his eyes and leaned forward to whisper, “Because it’s our love nest. As if I’d let you in there.”

Oikawa recoiled at the thought and lifted a few papers to block Kuroo’s face. One of them seemed a bit easier to read but he groaned when he realized it was poetic observations of Daichi’s physique. He had to admit it was fascinating, just a little more detail than he needed to know.

For a while, Kuroo remained quiet, allowing Oikawa to concentrate. He nearly forgot Kuroo was there as his mind became consumed with his reading material. Soft laughter interrupted his reverie and he glanced up to see Kuroo lifting himself from the table.

“Where are you going?”

“Nowhere special. You were right, you don’t need a babysitter. Have a nice time, kiddo.”

Kuroo reached over and ruffled Oikawa’s hair, cackling as he was swatted away.

“Stop treating me like a kid! I’m twenty-six!”

That made Kuroo laugh even harder, the irritating sound echoing throughout the trees even as he disappeared amongst them. Oikawa huffed and turned his attention back to the papers, but the mood was entirely spoiled. He was certain there was no going back to his focused state.

He lifted his eyes, gazing at the exotic beauty flowing around him. It should have felt like a vacation to him, an incredible adventure seeing things almost no one had ever seen before. It was a privilege to be there among the fae and even a weirdo like Kuroo, but none of it could soothe the ache in his chest.

A glimmer of light caught his eye, yanking him out of his melancholy thoughts. When he turned his head, there was a quick movement behind a large boulder, but Oikawa could clearly see the radiant light along the edge. He smiled and slipped quietly from the table, pressing his feet softly against the moss to not make a sound.

“Shoyou?” he called softly, and he snorted when he heard a squeak from behind the rock. “Shoyou, you can come out. I won’t hurt you.”

“I didn’t think you’d hurt me.”

“Then why are you hiding?”

“I’m not! It’s just—” Shoyou sighed and finally emerged. His presence was intoxicating to Oikawa, both soothing and exciting at the same time. He had hardly seen the fae since their arrival and as much as he wanted to hug him and drown himself in his warmth, he managed to resist so he didn’t scare him away.

“It’s just what? Do you not like me?” Oikawa asked with a dramatic pout. He nearly laughed when Shoyou looked devastated and hovered closer.

“No! I like you a lot! I didn’t want to bother you because you were reading, and I thought maybe you didn’t like me.”

“Why would I not like you?”

“Because I can’t help your friend.”

Oikawa pushed the painful reminder of Iwaizumi away and smiled reassuringly. “It’s not your fault you can’t help him.”

“Yes, it is. It is possible for me to heal him, it’s just… hard.”

Oikawa couldn’t hold himself back as he reached out, stroking his fingers over Shoyou’s warm cheek. “Would it help if you talked about it? I won’t try to convince you, but I would like to understand why.”

Shoyou cocked his head as he drifted up and down, thinking hard about Oikawa’s request. Everything about him reminded Oikawa of a little hummingbird, even though he had no wings.

“Yeah, we can talk about it. I think that would be best.”

“Let’s take a walk then. You can show me your favorite spots while you explain it.”

Shoyou beamed at him, and Oikawa thought for a moment that he was going to melt. “Sure! Let’s go!”

Shoyou rushed forward and snatched Oikawa’s hand, immediately tugging him into the trees.  At first, it seemed that he forgot his promise to explain the situation. He leaned into Oikawa’s space and pointed around him, rattling off silly stories associated with every tree and stream. And as if the fae wasn’t bright enough, several wisps began appearing around him, nuzzling against his skin as he laughed.

“I thought those guys were dangerous?”

“To you, maybe. They’re my friends though. This one’s Kenma, and if he’s not with me you can either find him with Kuroo or trying to kill people in the forest.”

“Yes, we met,” Oikawa deadpanned, giving the little light on Shoyou’s head a glare. It was hard to tell, but he had the impression the wisp was giving him a stink eye back.

“These two bigger ones are Inuoka and Lev! Inuoka’s really fun to play with, he has lots of energy and we like bouncing around the forest together. Lev too, but he can be a bit of an idiot. Ouch!” Shoyou yelled as he began elbowing the biggest wisp, who seemed to be pushing back.

“Are you only friends with the wisps?”

“No, I’m friends with everybody!”

Oikawa laughed. He couldn’t even picture someone rejecting Shoyou, and he had a fantastic imagination. Shoyou paused and looked at him, his eyes wide and observant.

“What is it?” Oikawa asked.

“You have a nice laugh and your smile is beautiful. Well, you’re very beautiful in general but your smile is like _gwahhhh_!”

“Thanks,” Oikawa chuckled nervously, wishing he could hide his burning face. He was used to others praising his good looks. Hearing it from someone has pure-hearted and honest as Shoyou, however, was almost alarming.

“About the curse,” Shoyou started, his shoulders drooping slightly, “They don’t affect us like they do humans, but most of us can’t remove them either. I can’t destroy the curse or anything like that. Basically, it’s transference, taking the curse on myself and healing the human. I used to do it more often, ages and ages ago. Whenever I did though, it would change me.”

“How so?”

Shoyou frowned and scratched his head. “Like, I took on the embodiment of the curse, rather than the curse affecting me. For something as dark and powerful as the Frozen Heart Curse, it would probably strip my personality away. I would become cold and unfeeling, like Kei!”

Oikawa smiled as Shoyou giggled at the jab against his friend. He glanced down at their hands intertwined and squeezed gently.

“I understand. Having it change you like that, I would never ask you to do that. Even for Iwa-chan. I’ll just have to look for some other way of helping him.”

“Is he really unhappy?”

“No, he’s trying to live with it. He’s not the type to let something drag him down, he likes to move forward.”

“Then why are you trying so hard to fix it? Curses are dangerous enough as it is, messing with them could have disastrous consequences.”

“I have to fix it because it’s my fault.”

“You cursed him?”

“No… It happened while we were still in school. I had many fans; admirers I guess you could say. Most of them were harmless, but one girl was more zealous than the rest. She noticed that whoever I dated, no one would be closer to me than my best friend. She wanted to be with me, but she wanted to be more important than Iwa-chan. So, she cursed him to keep us from falling in love. Which was ridiculous because we didn’t think of each other like that! And here I’m just fine and Iwa-chan’s suffering for it.”

Oikawa squeezed his eyes shut as tears slipped out the corners. He sniffed and wiped them away on his sleeve. He didn’t want to admit the story to Shoyou, it was as embarrassing as it was infuriating. The girl who cursed Iwaizumi had been expelled for what she did, but nothing could convince her to remove it. If the one who placed the curse doesn’t remove it themselves, it was basically impossible to do so. It was the whole reason Oikawa went chasing after rumors and myths, refusing to let it go.

Once he started to cry, Oikawa found it difficult to stop. There were so many emotions he had been hoarding up, they all burst out of him at once like a broken dam. Shoyou rushed forward and wrapped his arms around him, pressing their bodies tight together. Oikawa buried his face against Shoyou’s neck and hugged him back, the warmth of his golden skin soothing his inner turmoil.

It felt strange to be comforted by Shoyou; every instinct of Oikawa’s was to protect the little fae and keep him happy. The soft encouragements whispered into his hair were irresistible though, and he sighed as Shoyou’s hands rubbed against his back. Soon enough, he was able to straighten up with a shuddering breath, his emotions once again under control.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be! You needed to get that out.”

“Thank you.” Oikawa managed to smile through the lingering tears. “Can I tell you something else?”

“Of course!”

“You can’t tell anyone though, promise?”

“Promise!”

Oikawa laughed softly and reached out to cup Shoyou’s cheek. “It’s the real reason I have to fix this, why I can’t let Iwa-chan live with this curse. We’ve known each other since we were little kids, almost as far back as my memories begin. Every year, our families would visit the local shrine on New Year’s together. On top of that, Iwa-chan and I had a few traditions of our own.”

 

_Oikawa giggled, peeking around a pillar to see if his parents had noticed his absence yet._

_“Get back, idiot! They’re going to find us!”_

_“Then maybe you should be quieter!”_

_He gasped when he saw his mother turn and he quickly turned around, keeping his body stiff as the pillar against his back. Iwaizumi glared at him and rolled his eyes._

_“Why are we even doing this?”_

_“Because they’re just going to drag us home and make us go to bed.”_

_“Well, it is really late. Aren’t you tired?”_

_“Nope!”_

_“Of course, you’re not. Come on, I have a little money left. I’ll buy us something to eat.”_

_“Iwa-chan! My hero!”_

_Iwaizumi snorted and hunched over to slip through the crowds unseen. Oikawa giggled in his hand, amused that his friend thought he would even need to do that with how short he was. He followed suit regardless, weaving between people until they came to a food stall._

_They waited in line as they kept glancing around, making sure their parents weren’t nearby._

_“So, what did you wish for?”_

_“I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true!”_

_“You always tell me, stupid.”_

_“Whatever. If you must know, I wished that our team would win regionals and that I would always be handsome.”_

_“Of course, we’re going to win,” Iwaizumi affirmed, lifting his chin with pride. “You’re never going to be handsome though, so that was a waste.”_

_“So rude! What did you wish for?”_

_To his astonishment, Iwaizumi’s cheeks flushed bright and he tried looking away._

_“What? I told you!”_

_“You didn’t have to.”_

_“Iwa-chan, we’re best friends! You have to tell me.”_

_“Fine!” he growled, shoving Oikawa with his shoulder. “You just have to swear you’ll never tell anyone, or I’ll kick your ass.”_

_“Alright, who would I tell?”_

_“I don’t know, somebody. I wished that…” Iwaizumi paused with a wince, “That one day I’d fall in love and they would love me back.”_

_Oikawa was stunned. He could only stare as his friend glared back at him and mumbled under his breath._

_“Wow, I wouldn’t have thought you were so romantic.”_

_“Shut up, it’s not about romance.”_

_“Huh? How is it not?!”_

_“I just look at my parents, how they love each other and are so supportive, and I want that for myself. Is it so weird that I want to be loved?”_

_“But you are loved! I love you, despite being such a brute.”_

_“That’s not the same, although I’m happy you do. I just think it would be nice to be someone’s special person.”_

_Oikawa watched as a soft smile lingered on Iwaizumi’s lips, his eyes far away in his domestic fantasy. His own wishes suddenly seemed trivial in comparison and he wished he could go back and do it again, wishing only that Iwaizumi would one day get what he wanted._

 

“Is it okay that you told me that? You did promise him that you wouldn’t say anything.”

“I’m tired of holding it in. Besides, you’re not human, so I feel like this shouldn’t count.”

Shoyou giggled and pressed his hands against Oikawa’s cheeks. He hovered in closer until his face was right in front of Oikawa’s, sending his heart into a frenzy. The heat of Shoyou’s skin was flowing off him and he was so bright, Oikawa almost had to squint. To his surprise, Shoyou lifted higher and pressed his lips against his forehead.

“What was that for?”

Shoyou pulled back, his smile wide and blinding. “Because you’re a good friend. I think you’re amazing.”

“I’m not _that_ amazing. I haven’t done shit for Iwa-chan!”

“Haven’t you been searching for a way to cure him?”

“Yeah, but he was against it. I even left without saying goodbye because I knew he would stop me.”

“Hmm, that probably wasn’t a good idea.”

“He’s definitely going to kick my ass when I get back.”

“That’s what friends are for. Tobio beats me up a lot.”

“I don’t like that Tobio, I think you should stay away from him.”

Shoyou giggled and shook his head. “You’re just being jealous.”

“What?! Why would I be jealous of that weird guy?”

“Because he’s so close to me.” A sly smile spread on Shoyou’s lips as he slipped his fingers into Oikawa’s hair. “Don’t worry! We’re best friends, like you and Iwaizumi.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Oikawa laughed, sweat beading along his forehead. He gulped as Shoyou came close again, pressing a light kiss against his nose.

“I may not be able to help him, but I can help you!”

“Help me with what?”

“You’re cold and lonely inside, I can feel it,” Shoyou replied, his face serious as one of his hands slipped down to his chest. “You’ve been denying yourself love for his sake, but I’m sure that hurts him even deeper. Will you let me help you?”

“Well, uh, that depends what you had in mind.”

“Mainly this.”

Oikawa yelped as Shoyou’s lips pressed firmly against his. There was nothing shy or subtle about it, all hot breath and fingers gripping tightly into his hair. He sighed as he kissed Shoyou back, relishing the rush of excitement that came from kissing someone for the first time. It had been so long since he last held someone in his arms, but even then, none of his past lovers were anything like Shoyou. They all dimmed in comparison.

He could feel Shoyou smiling against his lips, always playful in every action he took. Oikawa loved it and wished he could keep Shoyou with him forever, to marvel at the wonders of the universe with someone as enthusiastic as he was. With every gentle kiss and stroke of fingers, Shoyou shooed away every dark thought and nagging worry in his brain. Shoyou’s love seemed to be healing him of a sickness he didn’t even know he had.

 

***

Daichi had warned them when they arrived that time moves differently in their forest, slower. But the warning faded from Oikawa’s mind quickly as he passed the days with Shoyou. There was a lightness to his spirit that hadn’t been there for years, if it ever existed.

Every day Shoyou showed him something new or took him on a little adventure only to fall asleep every night in Oikawa’s arms. He laughed, thinking back to all the worries and stresses his life once held. They all seemed like nothing, like dandelion seeds he could just waft away and scatter them to the wind. There was one thing that remained, a dark shadow in his mind that always ate away at his conscious. He had no idea how much time had passed when the day finally arrived that he had to face reality.

“Oikawa.”

He startled from his dozing from where he sat underneath a large, blossoming tree. Blinking his sleepiness away, he glanced up to see Hanamaki standing there with a grim look on his face and his phone in his hand. Oikawa sighed and glanced down at his lap where Shoyou remained fast asleep, his snores as quiet as a kitten’s purr.

“What’s wrong, Makki? Trouble in paradise?”

“No, nothing like that. I just got a message from Matsukawa.”

“Huh? How are you able to get a message? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“My boss gave me special equipment, enhanced so I can get a message out if I need to.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Hanamaki shrugged. “I was going to, but I didn’t want to distract you. You’ve been so happy lately.”

“Then why tell me now?”

“Because of the message from Matsukawa. He said something’s wrong with Iwaizumi.”

Fear gripped into Oikawa’s chest as he pictured Iwaizumi’s face. All at once the guilt flooded him and his shuddering breaths were enough to cause Shoyou to stir on his lap.

“What’s wrong with Iwa-chan?”

“He said he’s been fine, just doing his usual routine, but suddenly he’s been acting strange. He keeps rubbing at his chest too as if it’s bothering him more than usual.”

“Can it do that? Get worse?!”

“I don’t know.”

Oikawa pressed his lips together as hot tears welled in his eyes. He didn’t regret leaving and meeting Shoyou. It was one of the greatest things that ever happened to him. But his mind wandered back to that night, all those years ago, when Iwaizumi confessed his deepest desire. It made Oikawa feel wretched that he had achieved it when Iwaizumi could never.

“What do you want to do, Oikawa?”

“I don’t know. I want to stay here with him, but I also want to go home and see Iwa-chan. What about you?”

“Same,” Hanamaki sighed, scratching his head. “There’s nothing easy about this but I feel like if we don’t leave now, we’ll never see him or Matsukawa again.”

It felt like Hanamaki had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. He glanced down at the soft smile on Shoyou’s lips and curled his fingers through his wild hair. It wasn’t fair that he had to leave him, the very thought causing tears to well up in his eyes. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath and released it slowly, knowing his decision was already made.

“Then we need to go back. I can’t abandon Iwa-chan when we couldn’t even find a cure for him.”

Although Hanamaki suggested it, he looked just as depressed about the decision as he nodded. “I’ll go tell the others. You should tell _him_ as soon as he wakes up.”

“I will.”

For a while, Oikawa let Shoyou sleep as he soaked in the beauty of the forest, knowing that soon it would only be a memory. He had a million pictures stored on his phone, but it was more than just scenery. He had experienced all of it with Shoyou by his side, beaming back at him with the energy of a thousand suns.

He didn’t even realize that he had started crying until his sobs roused Shoyou from his sleep. His face popped up in front of him, his hands wiping away Oikawa’s tears as concern poured from his shining eyes.

“Tooru?! What happened? Did somebody hurt you? I can make it better!”

Oikawa choked out a laugh and shook his head. “Nobody hurt me, Sho. Hanamaki came by and we decided that we need to go home before we forget about our friends. I couldn’t find a way to cure Iwa-chan and instead of returning to him I stayed.”

“You… you regret staying with me?”

“No! I have no regrets. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.”

Oikawa wrapped his arms around Shoyou’s waist and pulled him into his lap. He peppered kisses all over Shoyou’s face but as the news of his imminent departure sunk in, Shoyou’s radiant light began to fade.

“I don’t want you to leave,” Shoyou whispered, so softly Oikawa almost didn’t hear it. His fingers gripped into the front of Oikawa’s shirt and yanked him forward into a desperate kiss. It was messy and salty from his tears, but Oikawa didn’t mind. He allowed Shoyou to control it, savoring every brush of their lips and the heat smothering him from Shoyou’s skin. He didn’t know what was worse, that Iwaizumi couldn’t fall in love at all or that he found the love of his life and had to leave him behind.

 

***

“Are you sure he’s coming?”

“He wouldn’t let me leave without saying goodbye, Makki. He wouldn’t do that,” Oikawa stated firmly, just as much for himself as his friend. The fae had all gathered in the clearing to say goodbye and their luggage was filled with gifts and provisions. The only one out of his sight was Shoyou who had been avoiding him all day. Oikawa wondered if Shoyou thought that if he didn’t say goodbye he couldn’t leave. Unfortunately, he wasn’t wrong; Oikawa couldn’t bring himself to leave if he couldn’t even say goodbye to his adorable lover. It was hard enough that he had to leave at all.

“You going to forget about me when you get back?” Ryuu asked Hanamaki, his face set in a menacing scowl as if he was threatening him. A smirk curled on Hanamaki’s lips as he wrapped his arms around Ryuu’s neck and hovered over him.

“There’s no way I could forget you. I’ve never had a dragon before or even a lover with _such_ sharp teeth. Or someone with that big of a—” the rest was mumbled into Ryuu’s ear with a snicker, and Ryuu’s wings gave an impulsive shiver. He growled and buried his face into Hanamaki’s shoulder, mumbling nonsensical words that made Hanamaki laugh and stroke his head lovingly.

“I’m here!” Shoyou’s voice rang out through the trees, bursting into the clearing a moment later with a sack hanging from his shoulder.

“It’s about time, dumbass! We’ve all been waiting,” Tobio growled and Shoyou glared back and stuck his tongue out at his friend.

“Sorry! But I had a lot to do!” His head whirled around until he spotted Oikawa, his face brightening at the sight of him. He flew forward, not stopping until he ran smack into him and hugged him tightly. “Tooru, I’m coming with you!”

“Wait, what?”

Shoyou’s laughter was like a set of tinkling bells as he leaned back, joy shining from him like sunbeams. “I decided to come with you and heal Iwaizumi!”

“You can’t! It’ll change you.”

“It changed me in the past, but that was before I fell in love with you. I think having you with me and knowing you love me will keep me from changing too much. And if I do, you can help bring me back.”

“Are you sure? It’s so risky.”

“I know, but I couldn’t stand it if he didn’t have a chance to love someone like we have. Will you please take me with you?”

Oikawa beamed as a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. He laughed and twirled Shoyou around as the little fae squealed gleefully.

“Yes! Of course, I’ll take you with me! Wait, no! How can I take you back when you look like this? The government or any one of the academies will sweep in and take you from me, maybe do some awful experiments on you.”

“It’s okay! I’ll put on my disguise.”

“Your what?!”

Shoyou screwed up his face in concentration and gradually the light emanating from him faded. His ever-flowing hair stilled, turning into regular bright red curls and his skin paled to a similar shade as Oikawa’s. By the time he was finished, Shoyou looked exactly like a human. More specifically, one of the cutest humans Oikawa had ever seen.

“How did you do that?!”

Shoyou shrugged with a laugh. “It’s easy! I’m really just the same, think of it as camouflage!”

“Wait, can you do that too?” Hanamaki asked Ryuu, gripping him by the shoulders.

“Sure, I guess.”

“Do it!”

“Why would I want to look like a lame human?”

“Do it or I won’t believe you.”

Ryuu clicked his tongue and scrunched his face up, looking more constipated rather than trying to focus. He did begin to change however, his colorful scales smoothing out to resemble human skin and his wings retracting into his back. Hanamaki’s mouth dropped open as his wide eyes scoured over every inch of Ryuu at least twice.

“Hey, Oikawa? Say hi to Matsukawa and Iwaizumi, I’m staying here.”

“What?!”

“You’ve got Shoyou, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. Toodles!” he shouted over his shoulders and hoisted a human-Ryuu into his arms. Before Oikawa could respond, he ran into the forest with a mischievous giggle.

“Hmph, and here I thought friendship meant something to him.”

“It’s okay, Tooru. I know Ryuu didn’t want him to leave. And he’s right, you’ve got me!”

Oikawa turned back to Shoyou, a smile curling on his lips as he ran a hand through Shoyou’s mop of bright curls. “Yup, we’ve got each other. Come on, let’s go save Iwa-chan!”

“Yay!”

“Hold up,” Daichi called just as they were about to set off. He strode forward and placed his hands on Shoyou’s shoulders. “I want you both to discuss how to act like a human on the way back. Don’t get distracted from the path either, or you’ll never make it out. And no floating, okay?”

“Not at all?!”

“Maybe in private, but make sure no one’s around. Oikawa? You better bring him back safely. I’ll understand if you want to live there for a while but eventually, he should come home. I’m relying on you to watch over him. Can I trust you?”

“Don’t worry about a thing!” Oikawa assured him but Daichi seemed unconvinced. With a sigh, Oikawa glanced down beside him at Shoyou’s beaming face, his whole body vibrating with excitement. He could feel his own affection for Shoyou bursting from him and he wrapped a protective arm around his narrow shoulders, pulling him into his side. “I’ll protect him with my life. There’s no one I treasure more in the world.”

Daichi nodded with a satisfied smile. “Good. I hope you’ll be able to save your friend.”

“Thank you. I’m sure we will,” he assured him and led Shoyou into the forest. He felt exhilarated with new purpose, having a cure for his friend and the love of his life by his side. There was no stopping him now.

_Hold on, Iwa-chan. I’m coming!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went ahead and completed this entire fic before posting more, so I'm updating the rest of the chapters today as well!


	3. The Curse of the Frozen Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this right after the previous chapter featuring OiHina and TanaMaki, so make sure you go back and read that one first!

Iwaizumi shoved his hands deep in his pockets, sighing as he glanced in passing shop windows without any real interest. He was off work and on his way home, but he felt no relief from it. Lately work was the only place he could feel like himself again and forget about all the problems lingering in the back of his mind. Or more like the frigid mass in his chest.

As soon as he thought about it, Iwaizumi winced and rubbed his chest. For five years it’s been there, weighing him down emotionally and physically. It’s been worse since Oikawa left to find a way to cure it. At least while he was with Iwaizumi, he could still feel the warmth of friendship, the curse only kept him from falling in love. Unfortunately, Oikawa left months ago on a trek through the forbidden forest in search of the most elusive creatures in existence: the fae.

There was hardly anything known about them, only that they were extremely powerful and dangerous beyond imagination. Iwaizumi was furious that Oikawa went there for his sake. If he thought the curse could be lifted by a fae, then he would have gone himself and his best friend wouldn’t have been sacrificed. Not only that, but he dragged Hanamaki along with him. Iwaizumi still had Matsukawa, but their friendship just wasn’t what it used to be.

Before Oikawa had left, Matsukawa promised him that he would look out for Iwaizumi and make sure nothing hurt him. Instead of just being a good friend, as usual, he took that to mean stalking Iwaizumi and following him places in pathetic disguises. As if it wasn’t painful enough not having his friends nearby, he had to suffer Matsukawa’s whims without Hanamaki to buffer.

Iwaizumi groaned as a familiar itch crept up his neck, and he paused next to a shop window, pretending to look inside with a quick glance behind him. A tall, lithe figure in a trench coat and sunglasses hovered behind a lamppost, a fake cigarette hanging between his lips.

_Idiot… you’re not that skinny._

A gentle breeze swept by Iwaizumi, bringing with it the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked cookies and coffee. It was odd how that homey scent had a way of soothing his worries and automatically lifted his spirit. His eyes flickered to the left and spotted the cafe just next door to the shop he was in front of. The sign above the door had a pudgy look owl sitting in a coffee mug with the name _Ruffled Feathers_ underneath.

Iwaizumi glanced back toward Matsukawa and snickered when he saw an old woman hitting him with her purse, thinking he was some sort of molester. While Matsukawa was distracted, Iwaizumi ran to the cafe and slipped inside, shutting the door quickly before Matsukawa noticed it. He immediately slipped to the side and pressed himself against the wall, not even taking a second to look around the cafe.

Matsukawa appeared a few moments later in front of the window and Iwaizumi held his breath as if that would make him invisible. Hanamaki was better at those spells but unfortunately, he wasn’t there to help him. Iwaizumi watched as Matsukawa looked around the street before bolting down the other direction and out of sight.

Iwaizumi heaved a sigh and finally looked around at the charming cafe. The furnishings were comfortable without being bulky and there were several patrons scattered throughout who hadn’t given Iwaizumi a second look. The barista behind the counter, however, was leaning over with his chin propped on his hand, eyeing Iwaizumi with a slight smirk. With an apologetic smile, Iwaizumi wandered toward him and gave a slight bow.

“Sorry about that.”

The barista straightened up and Iwaizumi noted immediately (with a little disdain) that he was slightly taller than himself. His hair was the same shade of black but full of soft curls whereas Iwaizumi’s was coarse and spiky, something Oikawa never ceased to tease him about.

“Don’t worry about it. Should we call the police?”

“Ha, no, actually I work for the police. We both do, in fact. He’s just an idiot friend who’s taken to stalking instead of being… normal.”

“Ah, I see,” the man laughed softly, the gentle sound soothing most of Iwaizumi’s stress. “Perhaps I can get you something to take your mind off things. Our coffee is to die for and we have a wide variety of pastries and sweets.”

“I’ll have a cup of coffee, but I only take it black.”

“Nothing with it?”

Iwaizumi was about to say no but he was momentarily distracted by the man’s piercing green eyes. He could tell that he would have difficulty denying the man anything, and he wondered if he should choose a random item just to appeal more to the barista.

_I wonder if he’s a mix of something, like a siren. I bet that’s good for business._

He managed to look away from the barista’s captivating eyes and glanced down at his nametag instead.

_Akaashi… wow, that suits him._

“How about one of our specials?” the man suggested with a sly smile. Although it was probably obvious why Iwaizumi kept getting distracted, he couldn’t resist mirroring the smile and shrugged.

“Sure, what’s the special, Akaashi?”

It startled Iwaizumi when Akaashi licked his lips and whistled a playful tune. Further down the counter was an adorable display of cupcakes decorated to look like owls situated in a nest. One of the cupcakes rose out of the nest at Akaashi’s whistle and fluttered its icing wings over to them. Iwaizumi gaped at the precious owl cupcake when it clicked its biscuit beak and blinked its chocolate eyes as it rested on the counter in front of him.

“Ok, _that_ is adorable, but I can’t eat it!”

“Why not? It’s not actually alive, you know.”

“It’s so cute and he’s staring at me.”

“But he’s delicious. Here, I’ll help.”

Before Iwaizumi could stop him, Akaashi pulled out a knife and sliced the owl in half. Iwaizumi covered his mouth and whimpered, but the owl made no sound and its wings stopped moving as soon as the knife touched the top of the cupcake. Akaashi whipped up a large mug of coffee and slid it across the counter next to the owl.

“That’ll be five dollars.”

Iwaizumi sighed and fished out some money. “I’ve never seen magic used in that way. It’s kind of refreshing.”

“Thank you. When I graduated from Fukurodani Academy, I had a lot of prospects, but nothing really spoke to me for a career. My boyfriend finally saved up enough money to open up the cafe he always dreamed of, so I decided to postpone a career of my own to help him. Ends up this is what I was looking for all along. I love it.”

“Oh wow, that’s great. You and your boyfriend must be very happy.”

Akaashi’s face softened and Iwaizumi felt his chest grip in a strange way. “We are extremely happy, and he has a strange way of spreading that happiness around. I try my best but I’m not as good at it as he is.”

“I think you’re doing a pretty damn good job. I feel more relaxed than I have in a month… maybe longer. I’ve had a lot of problems that have been on my mind.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I think one of them is lurking in a back booth.”

Iwaizumi frowned and glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, in the corner booth was an upright menu and a pair of sunglasses hovering over it. Iwaizumi sighed again and turned back to Akaashi.

“Think I can get another coffee and cupcake? And please don’t make it fly, my heart can only handle so much.”

“I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt your heart.”

Iwaizumi dropped more money by the register as he watched Akaashi wander to the end of the counter to pluck an owl out of the nest. Not only was he taller than Iwaizumi, but his fingers were long and nimble. They were mesmerizing and just as lovely as the rest of him. Akaashi frowned at him, however, as he set the cupcake in front of him and fished out a mug.

“Are you feeling alright, sir?”

“Ugh, please don’t call me sir. Iwaizumi is fine, and why do you ask?”

Akaashi nodded down to Iwaizumi’s chest where his hand was rubbing in circles. He flinched his hand away and smoothed it through his hair instead.

“I’m fine. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’ll help you carry it over.”

Akaashi swiped the large mugs off the counter and made his way around it with impressive speed. Iwaizumi nearly left the cupcakes on the counter as he chased after him, bewildered that Akaashi could move so fast without spilling a drop. Matsukawa folded the menu away and slid off his glasses as they approached, giving Akaashi a suave smile.

“Thank you very much.”

“My pleasure. Let me know if you need anything else, Iwaizumi-san.”

“Thanks, Akaashi.”

Akaashi nodded and turned away, his hand brushing gently against Iwaizumi’s arm as he passed. Even after he was gone, Iwaizumi remained frozen by the booth until Matsukawa leaned forward and snapped his fingers.

“What’s wrong with you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”

“You always say that. Sit down and eat your murdered owl.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.”

“He’s a handsome guy, Akaashi was it?”

Iwaizumi glared at Matsukawa over his coffee mug, his irritation rising at the other’s smirk. “Before you start asking ridiculous questions, I’ve never met him before I ran into here trying to escape from you. _And_ he has a boyfriend.”

Matsukawa’s eyebrows raised up and Iwaizumi immediately regretted tacking that statement on the end.

“You found that out already. That’s odd though… what about the curse?”

“What about it?”

“The curse keeps you from falling in love.”

Iwaizumi growled and leaned over the table. “I literally just met him. What are you talking about falling in love for?”

“I don’t know, I just thought that would include being interested in anyone.”

“I never said I was interested.”

“You didn’t have to. I need to make a note of this and send it to Makki.”

Iwaizumi’s mouth dropped open as Matsukawa leaned back and whipped out his phone, his thumbs typing furiously over the screen.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“Sending a message to Makki.”

“How? Aren’t they out of range in the middle of a freaking forest?”

“Yeah, but Makki put some enhancements on his phone and he’s able to get messages out.”

Matsukawa continued typing on his phone for a minute, unaware of the foreboding cloud of anger growing on the other side of the table. It wasn’t until a hand reached across the table and slipped underneath his phone to grab hold of his coat that he looked away from the screen. Iwaizumi yanked him forward, spilling some coffee on the front of his trench, and pinned him with a terrifying scowl.

“Are you telling me that you’ve had contact with Oikawa and Hanamaki this entire time?!”

“Well, not constantly. It’s a little glitchy.”

Iwaizumi took a deep breath and released it in a hiss. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah, they’re fine. It’s really funny, Oikawa’s a little distracted at the moment and I told Makki to focus him, but _he_ got distracted by—”

“When were you going to tell me this?!”

“Um… soon?”

“I’ve been worried sick about our best friends and this whole time you knew they were okay and didn’t tell me.”

“Aw, I didn’t know you were so concerned.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I be concerned, dumbass!”

“Iwaizumi-san,” Akaashi said softly. They both flinched at his sudden presence next to them and Iwaizumi released Matsukawa’s coat. Iwaizumi was incredibly embarrassed over losing his temper but somehow Akaashi didn’t seem that disturbed.

“Sorry, we were just—”

“Open your mouth.”

Iwaizumi obeyed without hesitation and Akaashi leaned toward him, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.

“Suck on that for a while, you’ll feel better. We can’t afford to have another murder in the cafe, so please try to hold off until you’re in a better location. And you,” Akaashi said, turning to Matsukawa who automatically hunched in his seat, “you’re his friend. You can see how stressed out he is, why are you making it worse?”

“Sorry,” Matsukawa said, dropping his head in shame.

“Just be supportive from now on, I’m sure it’ll help you both. Iwaizumi-san, do you feel better?”

“Mmm, yesh,” Iwaizumi mumbled over the candy that seemed to be melting all his lingering anger. It was delicious and he wondered how much they were. Unfortunately, in his bliss, he had dropped his guard and the vision of Akaashi smiling at him was doing more strange things to his chest.

“Good, let me know if you need anything else.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes followed Akaashi all the way back to the counter. He sighed longingly as he finally turned back around, rubbing his chest absentmindedly. Matsukawa eyed the area suspiciously as he typed another message out on his phone.

“You should finish your stuff so we can get out of here. We can chill out and do whatever you want at my place.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“What else am I going to do?”

“Why do we have to leave so quickly?”

“Because you’re crushing on a dude with a boyfriend even though you’re cursed and can’t fall in love. The whole thing spells bad news.”

Iwaizumi grimaced and glanced back at the counter. Akaashi was hovering in the swinging door, talking to someone in the kitchen. When he emerged and returned to his post at the counter, he was obviously trying to restrain a smile as a blush crept across his cheeks. If there was any ice melting from Iwaizumi’s heart, he was certain it had frozen over again at the sight.

 

Despite his better judgment, Iwaizumi found himself returning to the cafe a couple of times a week, sometimes more if it was a rough day at the precinct. It was one such day that found him slouched on the cafe counter as he perused the pastry case while Akaashi gaped at him.

“What happened?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“To your eye, Iwaizumi-san. It’s swollen and turning purple.”

“Oh, that. Um, I got into a tussle with one of our detainees.”

“Did you arrest him?”

“Nah, that’s not my job. I’m more of the holding and interrogating crew. He was brought in for questioning, but the guy has a gift for evasive spells and kept slipping out of our hold. My specialty is binding spells, so it was up to me to counteract them. He was half-way between the bars, which any normal human being couldn’t get through, and I snatched his wrists. I uttered one of my stronger spells but before I could finish, the guy jerked his elbow up and caught my eye.”

Akaashi hummed, still frowning at Iwaizumi’s eye as if it had somehow wronged him. “How about something cold today then, so you can rest it against your eye when you’re not drinking it. Of course, if you need some ice, I can give you some of that as well.”

“Nah, but something cool does sound nice. As long as it’s not extra cute.”

“Just a bit of whipped cream on top,” Akaashi said with a wink and scuttered about to make it. Iwaizumi sighed, running a hand through his thick hair. He needed to remind himself that Akaashi was never flirting with him, just being friendly to a customer. Akaashi was obviously in love with his boyfriend and Iwaizumi wasn’t the type to interfere.

It was mind-boggling why Iwaizumi was even concerned about the situation, considering he was unable to fall in love. Yet it was strange how his soul felt lighter every time he entered the cafe, breathing in the aroma of coffee and fresh pastries, and was greeted with the subtle smile Akaashi gave him. He also noticed, whenever he wasted away in a nearby booth, that Akaashi didn’t smile at every customer. Very few, in fact, he noted with a dangerous amount of pride.

“These binding spells you do,” Akaashi asked, yanking Iwaizumi out of his reverie, “do you ever use them for other things?”

“What other use would I have but for holding prisoners?”

Akaashi turned around, stirring a large iced coffee with more elegance than Iwaizumi would have thought possible. Akaashi’s face remained stoic as he glanced up at Iwaizumi, but a glimmer of mischief could be seen in his eyes, sending a shiver down Iwaizumi’s spine.

“I could think of many uses, the main one being in the bedroom. Have you ever used it on a lover?”

“What?! No, I mean, why would I use that on a lover?”

The corner of Akaashi’s lips turned up as he set Iwaizumi’s drink down and picked up a can of whipped cream, giving it a rhythmic shake.

“Handcuffs can leave marks, ropes don’t feel very good, and silk sashes can come undone too easily. It can be very frustrating when a certain someone just won’t sit still.”

Iwaizumi was certain his face was flushed from the subject matter, but he felt a chill creep across his skin at the obvious reference to Akaashi’s boyfriend. Why was he even jealous?

“Ah, I see. I’ve never used it personally, but I could see how that would be helpful.”

“Could you teach me?”

Iwaizumi’s mind blanked out as he watched Akaashi tenderly swirl the whipped cream over the top of his drink and finished it in a delicate swoop. When he set the can down, a little came out onto his finger, which he slipped into his mouth and hummed with satisfaction. He removed his finger with a pop and turned back to Iwaizumi, whose mouth was hanging open like a fish.

“Huh?”

“Could you teach me a binding spell or two? Actually, it would be beneficial for you to teach both of us. The problem with us is that we both enjoy being bound, so we can never decide. If you only taught me, then I could never experience what it was like to be held by a firm spell that didn’t cut into my skin. You know what I mean?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure, I can do that.”

To experience a full smile from Akaashi was like getting smacked in the face all over again. Iwaizumi flashed him a quick smile back before fumbling with some bills to pay for his drink.

“Thank you, Iwaizumi-san. I can’t tell you how much I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Thanks for making my drink.”

“I hope you enjoy it. And please take care of yourself. You deserve to be treated much better than this,” Akaashi said, reaching out to stroke a finger over his swollen eyelid. Iwaizumi felt his heart drum erratically in his chest as if was trying to break free from the icy curse surrounding it. He cleared his throat and stepped back, slipping his hand around the cold cup growing damp with condensation.

“I will. Thanks again.”

Before Akaashi could say anything else, Iwaizumi waved and turned away. He usually lingered in the cafe until he was finished, but his instincts were telling him to get out of there as fast as he could. He burst through the doors and inhaled the cacophony of scents from the city, not one of them a fraction as pleasant as the cafe itself.

_Maybe it would be best to spend less time there_.

Iwaizumi’s brows bunched together, the thought plummeting his mood drastically. He could tell himself that he enjoyed the atmosphere of the cafe, that it was the delicious coffee and pastries that kept pulling him back. Those things were accurate, but hardly the whole story if he was being honest.

He knew in the depths of his soul that it was Akaashi’s presence, his calm demeanor and keen intelligence that lured Iwaizumi back every time. Instead of noticing the lovely display at the end of the counter or the change in decorations depending on the season or theme of the week, Iwaizumi noticed how Akaashi’s green eyes seemed to change shades depending on what color shirt he was wearing or if there was a change in the weather. He also picked up on the slight nuances in Akaashi’s expressions and he could tell in an instant if he was irritated or relaxed when he was certain no other customer would notice.

It was also nice having someone else to talk to that wasn’t affiliated with his frustrating job, or even one of his meddling friends. Iwaizumi sorely needed that in his life and since frequenting the cafe, everyone has noticed the way it affected him. Apparently, he was smiling more and was able to control his temper better. Matsukawa caught him humming as they cooked together one night and as a result thought Iwaizumi was losing his mind.

It’s human nature to gravitate toward the things that make us happy. Visiting the cafe made Iwaizumi happy, he openly admitted that. But it scared him to think of where that road was leading him. He would grow closer to a man who was in love with another and he had no idea how that would affect him in the end. Showing them both how to do binding spells to spice up their love life? Such a thing could potentially shatter his frozen heart into a million shards.

_That’s it. If I don’t ever go back, I don’t have to teach them shit._

Iwaizumi nodded with his resolve and sucked down the ice drink in his hand. He closed his eyes and hummed as the sweet liquid slipped into his mouth, but it quickly tasted bitter at the thought of never seeing Akaashi again. It could have been the iced coffee he was drinking, but Iwaizumi was certain it was something else causing the ice in his heart to spread across his chest and seep into the rest of his body.

 

In the end, Iwaizumi could only last a week. He was leaving the precinct late after a grueling day, the streets nearly empty as he trudged down the sidewalk. His hair was still damp from his shower and he shivered as the cold night air washed over him. He propped up the collar of his jacket to block his neck and crossed his arms tight in front of him. His eyes lingered on the sidewalk in front of him, not paying too much attention to where his feet were taking him until they lead him straight to the cafe.

He blinked and glanced up at the door, emotions flooding him at the neon sign that said _Closed_. Of course, it was. No shops were open at that time of night unless it was a certain kind of business. Still, it was like a smack in the face seeing the cozy cafe right in front of him and he wasn’t able to go inside.

He glanced around, trying to decide what to do. The thought of going back to his empty apartment made him feel worse, and he knew Matsukawa had a dreadfully early shift in the morning. Iwaizumi sighed and leaned against the glass window of the cafe, looking up and down the street to muster any ideas.

_Maybe there’s a bar nearby. Not ideal but better than nothing._

His feet made no effort to move, however, and Iwaizumi’s thoughts consumed him again. He breathed deeply, trying to pick up any lingering scents of coffee and pastry. There wasn’t much in that area, and he considered slipping in the alley beside the cafe instead. He growled and vigorously ran his hand through his hair, shutting down such a creepy idea.

The door next to him burst open with a jingle and Iwaizumi flinched in surprise. The sight of Akaashi standing next to him was so abrupt that he couldn’t say anything, even when concern flooded Akaashi’s expression.

“Iwaizumi-san, are you alright?”

“Yeah! Sorry, I was passing this way and just got lost in my thoughts.”

“That’s okay, would you like to come inside?”

“No, I shouldn’t. You’re closed and I’ve had a long day.”

“All the more reason to come in and take a load off,” Akaashi said gently, his hand reaching out to meet Iwaizumi’s. His fingers were gentle and surprisingly warm. Despite all his concerns and determination, Iwaizumi sighed at the touch and felt the weight on his shoulders melt away.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

Akaashi smiled and tugged him inside the shop, bathing Iwaizumi in warmth and the scents he was craving. In a strange way, it felt like home.

“Of course, not. We still have some coffee that we had to make rather late, so it’s still fresh. And we have some cupcakes that didn’t get bought, it would be wonderful if they didn’t go to waste.”

“They’re not adorable, are they?”

“Um, no, they’re rather grotesque if I say so myself.”

Iwaizumi laughed softly, knowing the chance of them being that ugly was very slim. His smile faded once they arrived at the counter and Akaashi’s hand slipped out of his to travel around it. He told himself that was fine, they should always have some sort of barrier between them.

Luckily, there wasn’t any time for his thoughts to darken too much as Akaashi set a cupcake in front of him, one disguised to look like a fluffy bunny with pink heart candies for eyes. Iwaizumi gave Akaashi a withering look which made him stifle a laugh in his hand. He turned back around to pour some coffee in a mug, leaving Iwaizumi to stare down the bunny he was about to annihilate.

“At least you didn’t make it move.”

“Actually, I made them hop around the counter for a bunch of children today. They didn’t seem to think it was as morbid as you do.”

“Hmph, kids these days. No wonder crime is up.”

Akaashi laughed again as he set two mugs of coffee on the counter instead of just one. Iwaizumi swept up the one closest to him and sipped some down, burying the sudden rush of nerves at sharing a cup of coffee with Akaashi.

“Just looking at you, you’d never be able to tell what a sensitive soul you are.”

“You calling me a wimp?”

“No! I know you’re a strong person, physically and mentally, that much is obvious. It’s actually attractive that you have such a tender heart. It’s not a bad thing.”

_Tender huh? More like frozen solid._

“Thanks, I never thought about it before.”

“Perhaps you’re more sensitive than you used to be. You’ve had a hard time lately, haven’t you Iwaizumi-san?”

“I guess you could say that. Am I that obvious?”

“You sigh _a lot_ and mutter under your breath sometimes. I figured it mostly had to do with your difficult work but the more I get to know you, it seems like something else?”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Iwaizumi ran his thumbs over the warm, textured surface of the mug and sighed. Akaashi snorted and Iwaizumi couldn’t resist laughing with him. “It’s been rough these past five years. I think it started while we were still at the Academy. Something terrible happened to me there, something my best friend felt responsible for. I’m fine, I can still function and live my life, but he decided a few months ago to go on a stupid personal quest to find something to fix me. He even brought another one of our friends along as well.

This… burden I have, I could live with it before but without my friends and family surrounding me, it’s been harder. I felt like I was doing some good in my job in the beginning, but lately, it just feels grueling without any perks at all. I’ll spare you the disgusting details of what I had to go through tonight.”

“Is that why you haven’t been in this week? Work keeping you that busy?”

“Uh, for the most part.”

“It’s a shame, I’ve noticed that you seem to be in a better mood when you leave here than when you came in. That, and I missed seeing you.” Akaashi’s words seemed to disappear as he buried his face in his own mug of coffee. It was difficult to tell in the dim light of the cafe, but Iwaizumi could have sworn he saw a blush tickling across Akaashi’s cheeks and on the top of his ears.

“I missed being here too. It seriously feels like the only place I can be myself.”

“Good. I was hoping I hadn’t scared you off with what we talked about before. Perhaps it was too forward of me, asking if you could teach Koutarou-san and myself the binding spell. I didn’t offend you, did I?”

“No! It wasn’t that at all! As I said, I’ve been crazy busy with work. That and—”

Iwaizumi bit down on his tongue to keep from spilling anything else but unfortunately, Akaashi caught on quickly.

“And what, Iwaizumi-san? There was something else?”

Iwaizumi was speechless. How could he tell Akaashi that the more time he spent around him, the more he fell in love with him? And how could he explain the complexities of his curse since technically he shouldn’t be feeling anything? Perhaps it would be best to release everything out in the open before things got out of hand. That way Akaashi would know that if he didn’t show up to the cafe for a while, it wasn’t a rejection of him. It was because he was already taken.

He startled when Akaashi’s warm fingers slipped around his hand and squeezed it. Iwaizumi stared at it for a moment, captivated by how long and elegant Akaashi’s hand was and resisted the sudden urge to lift it to his lips and kiss it as if he was some debonair gentleman. He raised his eyes to Akaashi instead, lost in the depths of his eyes that were the darkest shade of green he’d seen yet. Akaashi raised his eyebrows, urging for Iwaizumi to be candid, and Iwaizumi’s lips parted with a quick breath to finally say exactly what needed to be said.

A deafening crash from the kitchen startled them both and their hands released as Akaashi whirled around to face the door.

“Koutarou?!” he cried and rushed through the swinging door. Iwaizumi wasn’t thinking when he jumped over the counter and chased after him, not waiting for any kind of permission. He was always a man of action rather than words anyway. Neither could see anything right away, a giant cloud of white permeating the entire space. They coughed and wafted the air, swirling the white particles around without hardly making a difference.

“It’ll settle in a few minutes, it’s just flour,” Akaashi said between coughs. Despite what he said, he slipped a handkerchief out of his apron pocket and held it against his face as he charged into the cloud without waiting for it to subside. Iwaizumi frowned and looked around him. He spotted a flexible cutting board resting on a counter and picked it up, using that to fan the flour away from him. It was infinitely more efficient than their hands and in a moment,  he could make out Akaashi’s form hovering over another man on the floor.

“Is he okay?” Iwaizumi asked as he knelt next to him.

“Yes, but this is really going to gunk up our bathtub when we get home,” Akaashi sighed, wiping his boyfriend’s face with the handkerchief. It gave Iwaizumi a chance to look him over although it was difficult to tell what he looked like exactly under the light layer of flour.

He was big, his biceps straining the cuffs of his t-shirt and his pecs bursting out over his apron. It seemed like he was taller than Akaashi and potentially even taller than Oikawa. His hair stuck straight up in a goofy way, yet it seemed to suit him.

As Akaashi rubbed the handkerchief away from his face, the man opened his eyes and fixed them right on Iwaizumi. They were a startling shade of gold that held Iwaizumi’s gaze like a tractor beam. His eyebrows shot up as he looked Iwaizumi up and down with intense interest.

“Who are you?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“ _You’re_ Iwaizumi?!”

“Um, yes?”

“Wow! I’m Bokuto Koutarou, Keiji’s boyfriend. He told me all about you.”

“He-He did?”

“Yup! Can you give me a hand up?”

“Sure.”

Iwaizumi planted his feet on the floor and held out his hand, preparing himself to lift someone of Bokuto’s size. A mischievous chuckle rumbled out of Bokuto, the playful sound drawing a smile to Iwaizumi’s face. Their hands slapped together and, in a moment, Bokuto bounced to his feet, releasing a fresh wave of flour into the air. As he sputtered with a cough, Iwaizumi tried releasing Bokuto’s hand but the firm grip on it remained.

“You’re a bit on the shorter side, but you’ve got a lot of power!”

“Er, thanks,” Iwaizumi replied, feeling a slight irritation at the comment on his height but couldn’t feel too angry as Bokuto looked him over with such admiration.

“You’re nicely built, and you put it to good use. Do you wanna wrestle?!”

“Huh?!”

“You’d be so much fun to wrestle, I bet you’d actually give me a hard time. Come here!”

“Koutarou! Remember that you’ve only just met Iwaizumi-san. He might be a tad overwhelmed at the moment.”

“Oh, sorry. We’ll wrestle later, so prepare yourself!” Bokuto winked and clapped Iwaizumi hard on the arm. Akaashi was right, Iwaizumi was overwhelmed but probably not in the way he imagined. Bokuto was mesmerizing in every capacity, his entire presence blazing like the sun. They were standing in a drafty kitchen surrounded by flour-dusted stainless steel, yet Iwaizumi felt a comforting heat spreading from the grip Bokuto had on his hand.

Iwaizumi lifted his chin and flashed Bokuto a challenging grin. “You’re on. I bet I’ll give you more than just a hard time.”

Bokuto laughed bellowed as he threw his head back. “Man, I like you! I mean, I knew I would from everything Keiji told me about you.”

“Oh? What did he say?”

“That you’re really sexy, which I figured was accurate because Keiji obviously has great taste,” Bokuto scoffed, gesturing toward himself. Iwaizumi’s mouth dropped open as his eyes flickered to Akaashi. His face was hidden behind his hands as he groaned miserably.

“I told you not to blurt that out when you met him.”

“Sorry, Keiji. I’m surprised _you_ didn't just blurt that out when you met him.”

“It’s called self-control.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Iwaizumi interjected. He wiggled his hand out of Bokuto’s grip and stepped back, eyeing Bokuto and Akaashi together. “I don’t know what kind of relationship you have exactly but you both seem very happy together. Do you often discuss the hotness of other people? That doesn’t make you jealous?”

Akaashi frowned as he considered the questions but Bokuto simply shrugged.

“Not really, I’ve always known that I belonged with Akaashi and I think he felt the same. It doesn’t mean we can’t admire other people. And if someone came along that really interested one of us… well, let’s just say we wouldn’t be opposed to having someone else with us. For me, it would be like receiving _more_ love, not less. And that sounds great, right Keiji?”

“Yes, surprisingly I think you explained it very well.”

“Thanks!”

Akaashi smiled adoringly up at Bokuto, licked his thumb, and ran it across Bokuto’s cheek to remove a streak of flour that still remained. Bokuto beamed and leaned into his touch. It was strange, finally seeing the physical evidence of Akaashi and Bokuto’s love. It was a peaceful sort of relationship, which was surprising considering Bokuto’s energy level. Something manifested out of many years together, Iwaizumi assumed.

The weirdest thing about seeing them was the absence of jealousy. Iwaizumi used to feel it gnawing at him whenever Akaashi had mentioned Bokuto around him but suddenly it didn’t exist. Instead, he smiled and enjoyed the sweet, domestic scene as it unfolded in front of him.

In fact, he enjoyed it very much considering Akaashi’s elegant good looks were juxtaposed with Bokuto’s wild and muscular appearance. Iwaizumi realized he was blatantly checking them both out and felt a rush of heat flood his cheeks. He scratched his head and looked away, but the movement grabbed Bokuto’s attention immediately.

“Hey, Keiji,” he whispered loudly toward Akaashi’s ear, “can we have Iwaizumi over for dinner tonight?”

“He can probably hear you.”

“But I’m whispering!”

“As loudly as you usually speak. But yes, I would like that. What do you say, Iwaizumi-san? I know it’s late but I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“Oh no, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You won’t!” Bokuto cried, bounding up to Iwaizumi and grabbing hold of his arms. “I want to get to know you! It’s not fair that Keiji keeps me back here and gets to talk to you all the time. I want a turn.”

“Don’t force him, Koutarou.”

“No, um, it’s fine. I wouldn’t mind getting to know you either,” Iwaizumi muttered, certain his face was bright red at that point. Bokuto’s face lit up and suddenly Iwaizumi was pulled forward, his face buried in Bokuto’s plump chest.

“Yes! I’m so excited!”

“Loosen your grip, I don’t think he can breathe.”

“Oh, sorry Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi gasped as he was flung back enough that he could straight up and breathe freely. Bokuto kept him in his embrace, however, and he really didn’t mind. Iwaizumi enjoyed physical affection in any capacity and although he had just met Bokuto, he already wished they could snuggle up on a sofa together and fall asleep.

_Maybe I should take him up on that offer to wrestle. It’s really just violent hugging._

“I’m fine,” he assured them both when they started to look concerned. “It was kind of nice in a way. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good hug.”

“You’ve had it rough,” Akaashi stated, nodding with understanding.

“You poor guy! Come here, I’ll try not to suffocate you this time,” Bokuto chuckled and ushered Iwaizumi closer, his arms enveloping his entire back. Iwaizumi accepted the hug willingly, melting into it and resting his chin on Bokuto’s shoulder.

“Work is so hard, and I don’t enjoy it at all.”

“Aw, that sucks. You should enjoy what you do at least some of the time!”

Iwaizumi sighed and closed his eyes, feeling his stress melt in the warmth of Bokuto’s embrace and the rumbling tones of his deep voice.

“Yeah, and I miss my friends. Oikawa and Hanamaki are still gone, and Matsukawa’s bogged down with work as well. It’s lonely.”

“Don’t worry! You won’t be lonely anymore. We’ll make sure of that.”

Iwaizumi should have protested. He could have easily said that he didn’t want to intrude on their relationship. But his body felt like putty in Bokuto’s arms and he smiled as he breathed in the scent of vanilla and sugar that have permeated Bokuto’s clothes.

“Okay. I’ll be in your care.”

Bokuto chuckled and rubbed his back. Iwaizumi immediately moaned under the firm pressure of Bokuto’s hand. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so comfortable, so safe. The thought that he only just met Bokuto a few minutes before didn’t even occur to him, it felt like they’d known each other forever already.

The sound of a camera click startled them both from their reverie, and they both turned to see Akaashi lowering his phone with a guilty expression.

“Sorry… I couldn’t resist.”

“Taking a picture of us hugging?” Iwaizumi questioned, a sly smile teasing at his lips. Akaashi blushed and looked away as Bokuto laughed.

“He can’t resist the double beef. Hey! That’s what we should call ourselves. Anyway, I bet you’re starving. Why don’t we just pick up food on our way, there’s a good joint that’s open all night that’s not too far from our apartment. I’m so excited for all of us to snuggle on the couch while we eat. We’ve got a nice big bed too, so you should have plenty of room. Can I be in the middle?”

“Whoa, wait. I don’t have to spend the night!” Iwaizumi protested. It was hardly convincing to himself as his eyes drifted shut again, the result of Bokuto’s fingers massaging through his hair.

“Pfft, yes you do. Right, Keiji?”

“Yes. I’d like it very much if you stayed with us, Iwaizumi-san.”

Iwaizumi shivered from Akaashi’s honey-filled voice and his eyes flew open when he felt Akaashi’s fingers wrap around his arm. His vision was filled with Bokuto’s radiant smile and Akaashi’s alluring eyes, completely obliterating his ability to speak. He managed to mumble a few words and nod his head but luckily, they understood his meaning.

“Great, it’s a date!” Bokuto cheered and he was off in a flash, bounding around the kitchen to gather his things and shut off the lights. Iwaizumi blinked as if waking up from a dream and looked around at the kitchen, still covered in flour. He met Akaashi’s stoic gaze and snickered.

“Uh, I have the day off tomorrow. I can come in with you guys and help clean up.”

A soft smile crept on Akaashi’s lips and in the dimming light of the kitchen, Iwaizumi was once again overwhelmed with how lovely he was.

“I would appreciate it. You never know, you may enjoy working here so much that you quit your job and work with us instead. We could always use more help.”

“Oh! I mean, I guess we could try it out.”

“Then it’s settled then,” Akaashi cooed, taking a step closer and threading their fingers together. Iwaizumi didn’t even flinch away the gesture felt so natural. Bokuto’s voice was still echoing throughout the space, always forgetting one item or a machine he left turned on. Iwaizumi and Akaashi listened, laughing softly as they gazed at one another.

“So, correct me if I’m wrong, but are we dating? All three of us?”

“Yes, if that’s alright with you. Koutarou has a way of just assuming things and pulling others along with him. Our relationship began in the same way.”

“That’s cool. To be honest, it feels right to be with you both.”

Akaashi’s cheeks darkened as he smiled even wider. It was natural for them to drift toward each other, heads tilting to align their lips just right.

“Good, I look forward to it,” Akaashi whispered, his breath tickling across Iwaizumi’s lips. The kiss was soft and alluring, so much like Akaashi himself. Iwaizumi melted into it with a hum and he shivered as Akaashi’s hand pressed against his chest.

“Keiji.”

Bokuto’s quiet voice startled them both out of the kiss and guilt rushed through Iwaizumi when he saw the hurt look on Bokuto’s face. Before Iwaizumi could apologize, Bokuto crossed his arms in front of his chest and puffed out his cheeks like a petulant toddler.

“Why do _you_ get to kiss him first?!”

Akaashi snorted and slipped his hand around Iwaizumi’s neck, drawing him closer with a smug expression.

“Because I saw him first. It’s only fair. I know you want to attack him now, but we really need to eat. You can kiss him after dinner.”

“Hmph, fine!” Bokuto charged toward them and grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand, yanking him toward the door. “Prepare yourself, Iwaizumi. I’m going to give you a way sexier kiss than that.”

“If you insist.”

His quick acceptance of their future activities melted Bokuto’s bad mood and he exploded in another wave of chatter as he pulled Iwaizumi out the back door of the cafe who pulled Akaashi along with him. A rush of cool air flowed around them, but Iwaizumi hardly felt it. He was surrounded on both sides by two handsome men who wanted to smother him in love. They held hands the entire way and his cheeks began to ache from smiling so much.

He began the evening filled with misery and the chill from his heart spreading throughout his body. The whole situation unraveled so quickly, Iwaizumi could hardly remember what he was feeling. He hadn’t even realized the warmth permeating his chest, leaving not one drop of ice remaining around his heart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this whole au started with this one actually. I've been dying to do this OT3 when I was going back and forth from Dragons of Seijoh (IwaAka) and Wind Shear (BokuIwa) and I couldn't remember who I was supposed to be shipping Iwaizumi with XD It just made sense to put all three together and hooooo boy do I love this OT3!! You can fully expect me to do it again, b/c it's so fun and fluffy. Next is the Epilogue!


	4. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of this au, so if you haven't read the previous ones that I just posted make sure you go back!

“Wow! Tooru, this place is amazing! Did humans make all of this? And you don’t even need to fly with all those things!”

“Shh, Sho. Keep your voice down,” Oikawa whispered as he slapped his hand over his boyfriend's mouth. He smiled apologetically at a few pedestrians giving them odd looks and pulled Shoyou a little closer. “Remember, you shouldn’t refer to humans as humans because you’re supposed to be one.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Oikawa chuckled and dropped a kiss on top of Shoyou’s head. “That’s alright, it’s a lot to remember. Those _things_ are called cars.”

“Cars,” Shoyou repeated in a reverent voice.

“Yes, and these tall structures are called buildings and we’re about to go in one to find Iwa-chan. He lives here.”

“He lives in one of these?! It’s huge!”

“Yes, well, he’s not the only one who lives here. It’s called an apartment.”

“A-part-ment,” Shoyou sounded out, nodding with every syllable. “Humans are really incredible. Oh! Sorry.”

“It’s okay, you can say people instead. That’s acceptable.”

“Got it.”

Oikawa giggled and threaded his fingers into Shoyou’s. He gave a playful tug on them and skipped the rest of the way to Iwaizumi’s apartment building, excitement buzzing in his veins. He knew Iwaizumi was going to beat the shit out of him for leaving, but Oikawa knew he’d calm down once we presented Shoyou to him.

Once he reached the door, he punched in the code he memorized long ago and slipped inside with Shoyou bounding behind him.

“Now keep your voice down in here. People live here and they might be sleeping or working.”

“Okay, I’ll be really quiet,” Shoyou whispered back.

It used to exhaust Oikawa, running up the staircase to Iwaizumi’s apartment. But he was hardly winded when he reached the top, having plenty of energy to burn in his ecstatic state. He ran down the hallway and knocked a playful tune on the door, ready to launch himself at his friend as soon as he opened it.

It only took a minute for the door to open and Oikawa drew in a deep breath to yell out his friend’s name. He choked on the words when he saw it was a strange middle-aged man standing there, and not Iwaizumi at all.

“Yeah? Can I help you?”

“Um, I’m looking for Iwaizumi Hajime?”

“Oh, he moved out. I used to live down the hall, but I snagged this apartment when I found out he was leaving. It’s a hell of a lot nicer than my old one.”

“But, where did he go?”

The man shrugged. “No clue.”

“But—” Oikawa started, but the man was already shutting the door in his face. He stood there for several minutes, stunned until Shoyou tugged on his shirt sleeve.

“What are we going to do?”

“I guess we should check where he works. I wish I had listened to Makki and not used my phone so much, then we could have called him.”

“But we got some great pictures! Come on, let’s go find him!” Shoyou cheered, yanking him down the hall.

Oikawa shook his head, shaking off his bewilderment while he scrambled to keep up. Iwaizumi worked hard to find that apartment and hold onto it. Before that, he lived in so many crappy places that he was staying with Oikawa more than his own place. He couldn’t imagine him giving it up without a good reason.

He snapped out of his reverie when they arrived outside and Shoyou started pulling him in the wrong direction.

“It’s this way, Sho.”

“Oh, okay! Where does Iwaizumi work?”

“He works for the police department. Police officers protect people, keep the peace, solve crimes,” he added at Shoyou’s confused expression.

“What are crimes?”

“Wow, we really were living in paradise, weren’t we?”

It took the entire walk to the station to explain to Shoyou what crimes were, what different types there were and what happens as a result. Oikawa winced at the look of fascination on his face and hoped Shoyou wouldn’t try being a criminal just to satisfy his curiosity.

“Alright, we’re here. Try not to say anything, unless they ask for your name or something. I’ll do most of the talking.”

“Okay!”

Oikawa took a deep breath and entered the station, a wave of nostalgia hitting him as he watched officers and secretaries bustling around with urgency. His instinct was to rush into the elevator to the next level down where Iwaizumi interrogated suspects, but he had a feeling it would get him in trouble. Especially since he’s been gone for months.

“Um, excuse me, miss?”

The woman at the front desk glanced up from her computer, dark circles hanging below her eyes. “You here to report something?”

“No, I was just hoping to talk to Agent Iwaizumi. Is he here today?”

“Iwaizumi? He quit a couple of weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry?”

She huffed and leaned over the desk. “ _He quit two weeks ago!_ ”

Oikawa and Shoyou leaned back from the force of her words and Oikawa’s heart started to race in his panic. “Why would he quit? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, honey, but if that’s all you’ll need to leave. This station is for police business.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your time,” Oikawa snipped and stuck his nose in the air as he wrapped an arm around Shoyou’s shoulders and guided him toward the door.

“Well, it’s nice to see you still care about your friends. Wait, I guess I should say, _friend_.”

Oikawa gasped and whirled around to see Matsukawa glowering at him.

“Mattsun!”

“Hey, buddy.”

“Don’t be like that, I’m happy to see you!”

“Sure. Well, I’ll take you to see Iwaizumi.”

“Where is he? He moved out of his apartment!”

A sly smile curled on Matsukawa’s lips as he ushered them out of the station. “Yup, he definitely did.”

“Why?”

“You’ll find out.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?!”

“You left here months ago without telling Iwaizumi and _after_ he told you not to meddle. Don’t you think you owe it to him to hear it from himself?”

“I guess so… when you put it like that.”

“By the way, who’s this cutie?”

“I’m Shoyou! Tooru’s boyfriend.”

Matsukawa’s eyes widened before bursting into laughter. “You’re such an asshole, I can’t believe it. Nice to meet you, Shoyou. It’s a pity you don’t have better taste in men.”

“So rude! I didn’t go there to fall in love, it just happened!”

“There… you mean he’s from the forest? He is human, right?”

Oikawa pressed his lips tight and looked away. Matsukawa frowned and looked closer at Shoyou.

“If you’re not human, what are you?”

“I’m a fae… in disguise.”

“Seriously? Can you do some weird shit?”

“No, my shit is normal.”

Oikawa rolled his eyes at Matsukawa’s gleeful snicker. “Leave him alone. How much further is it?”

“Just up here, actually.” Matsukawa paused outside a charming cafe called _Ruffled Feathers_ and opened the door. “After you.”

“Here?”

“Yup.”

“It smells so good!” Shoyou shouted and rushed inside, dragging Oikawa behind him. Glancing around, he was relieved to find the cafe relatively empty for that time of day and he wouldn’t have to worry so much about what Shoyou would say. It was extremely cute inside and the homey aroma of baked goods and coffee made Oikawa’s mouth water immediately. It was a delightful place to be, but he still couldn’t understand why Matsukawa dragged him there.

“Matsukawa-san, it’s always a pleasure to see you,” the handsome barista called, the corner of his lips lifting into a smirk. “Same as usual?”

“Hey, Akaashi. Yeah, and whatever these two goofballs want.”

“Mattsun, we don’t have time for this! I want to see Iwa-chan!”

“Do you mean Hajime? Is this Oikawa?” Akaashi asked, his dark, green eyes flickering between them.

“Yes, I’m Oikawa Tooru. Who are you that you’re calling him _Hajime_?”

“Akaashi Keiji, his boyfriend.” He chuckled softly as Oikawa’s jaw dropped to the floor. “Wait here, I’ll get him for you.”

Oikawa watched him as he disappeared into the kitchen, his mouth still hanging open as he attempted to process the information.

“You look like a dead fish,” Matsukawa said after a minute, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Oikawa blinked rapidly and shook his head.

“His boyfriend.”

“Yup.”

“He’s cursed, how can he have a boyfriend?”

“I was shocked too, believe me. Especially snatching such a handsome devil as Akaashi. And that’s not even the half of it.”

“What do you mean?”

The door swung open from the kitchen and Oikawa felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight of his best friend.

“Oikawa! You son of a bitch!” Iwaizumi laughed as he rushed forward and hopped over the front counter. He wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s middle and lifted him up in a suffocating bear hug.

“Iwa-chan! I can’t breathe!”

“Serves you right, dumbass, leaving without saying goodbye and me not hearing anything for months!”

“I left for you!”

“Whatever, I’m glad you’re back.”

He set Oikawa down and gave him a playful slap on the arm, knocking him straight into Matsukawa. Oikawa’s mind worked frantically to catch up, but it was difficult when Iwaizumi was looking at him with the widest grin he’d ever seen.

“What’s with that ugly smile? You’re going to break your face with that thing.”

“Shut up, I’m just happy. How are you, anyway? Who’s this?”

“I’m Shoyou! Oikawa’s boyfriend!”

Iwaizumi laughed and ruffled Shoyou’s hair. “Man, you are way too cute to be with this jerk.”

Oikawa gasped with deep offense. “Why does everybody keep saying that? Leave me alone!”

“It’s okay, I love Tooru!” Shoyou shouted, wrapping his arms around Oikawa’s waist. All Oikawa’s petulance melted away as he beamed down at him and hugged him back.

“See? He loves me.”

“It’ll only be a matter of time before he comes to his senses.”

“I just got back, why can’t you be nice to me?!”

“Because you’re an asshole.”

“Hajime, language.”

Iwaizumi flinched and scratched his head, sending an apologetic smile over his shoulder where Akaashi was standing in the doorway. “Sorry, Keiji. I’m working on it.”

“Is he really your boyfriend? Did you really just apologize for swearing? Am I losing my mind?”

“Pfft, yes to all the above. It’s a family cafe, so I have to watch my language.”

“But you’re cursed!”

“Was cursed. I’m not anymore.”

“How?!”

“Stop screeching and I’ll tell you. Keiji, can you get this idiot something warm and sugary? Shoyou, what do you want?”

“I’ll have what Tooru’s having.”

“I’ll whip it right up,” Akaashi said with a wink and got to work on their drinks. Oikawa gaped as a light blush crept up Iwaizumi’s cheeks.

“Uh, so the short and cheesy version of the story is that true love broke the curse.”

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Shoyou gushed. “I should have thought of that; true love can usually break curses.”

“What are the odds of you meeting your _true love_ though? I didn’t even know such a thing existed! What is this, a fairy tale?”

“Says the man dating something other than a human,” Matsukawa interjected as he sipped loudly on his coffee.

“Wait, Shoyou isn’t human?”

“I’m one of the fae,” Shoyou whispered up toward Iwaizumi. Oikawa flinched when his best friend glared at him with heavy disapproval.

“You would date something non-human.”

“I’m not dating him because he’s a fae. I’m dating him because he’s adorable and amazing.”

“Tooru!” Shoyou cried, hiding his bright red face.

“Here are your drinks, on the house,” Keiji said, setting them on the counter and leveling a look at Iwaizumi. “You still haven’t told them everything.”

“Huh? What else are you keeping from me?”

Everyone flinched when the kitchen door burst open. A man bounded through it with a blinding grin on his face, bits of flour decorating his face and the apron tied over his muscular body. Oikawa snatched their coffees off the counter before the man knocked them off in his excitement and handed one to Shoyou. He was already used to the excitable type considering Shoyou’s energy level and this man was massive in comparison, like comparing a monkey to a rhino.

“Sorry! I came out here as fast as I could! Hey Matsukawa! Is this Oikawa?! Hey! It’s so nice to meet you finally, we’ve heard so much about you! I’m Bokuto Koutarou, Hajime’s boyfriend!”

Oikawa spit his coffee out and coughed into his sleeve. “I’m sorry, did you say _you_ are Iwa-chan’s boyfriend?”

Bokuto puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. “Yup!”

“I’m confused, I thought Akaashi was his true love.”

“He is, and so am I! We’re both his true loves, double the love!” Bokuto laughed as he crossed his tree-trunk arms in front of his chest.

Oikawa’s head was beginning to pound, the way it used to when he needed to solve a difficult equation in school. He took a breath to say something but paused, unable to find the right words. Beside Bokuto, Akaashi leaned against him and rubbed his back. It was shocking since Oikawa had only learned that Akaashi was Iwaizumi’s new boyfriend.

He turned to Iwaizumi for a better explanation when he saw the adoration pouring from his eyes as he stared at the two on the other side of the counter. Even before the curse, he had never seen that look on Iwaizumi’s face. A vision flashed in his mind of a much younger Iwaizumi, cheeks red as he admitted to Oikawa his dream of finding love.

“So, while I was gone you met these two, cured your curse, and now you have two boyfriends.”

“Two extremely hot boyfriends,” Iwaizumi clarified with a smug grin. “Jealous?”

“ _No_ , I’m content with my adorable, mystical, non-human boyfriend, thank you very much!” Oikawa sneered as he wrapped his arms protectively around Shoyou. His face softened almost immediately, still amazed at how Iwaizumi was glowing right in front of him. “I am happy for you, Iwa-chan. It’s what you always dreamed of. _More_ than you always dreamed of.”

“Ha! That’s for sure.”

It was one of those rare moments where everything seemed perfect. All the guilt and worries Oikawa had for years was vanishing into thin air. Iwaizumi was brimming with pride and joy and glancing at the men across the counter, they felt the exact same way about him. And on top of all that, Shoyou was nestled beside him drinking an unholy amount of coffee that Oikawa knew he was going to pay for later. That was alright; he had plenty of ways of releasing Shoyou’s energy.

Beside them, Matsukawa cleared his throat loudly, interrupting the peaceful mood. “Wow, not to break up this sweet, tear-jerker moment, but I have to ask. Where the hell is Hanamaki?”

“He’s fine. He decided to stay behind with his new lover.”

“Would this new lover be a fae as well?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Is he hot?”

“Yeah, not bad!”

“Ryuu is really handsome! His wings are super cool!” Shoyou added, but Matsukawa didn’t seem pleased with the fact as he growled and slammed his empty coffee cup on the counter.

“Wings?! Are you kidding me? Iwaizumi gets two hot boyfriends, you get this little cutie, and Hanamaki gets a guy who has actual wings. What about me? I’ve been here working my ass off and babysitting Iwaizumi while everyone else is getting some mystical booty. Well, I’ve had enough, it’s my turn! I quit!”

Matsukawa snatched the empty coffee cup and stomped toward the door. He hurled the cup in the trashcan and whipped out his phone, using his shoulder to pry the door open without glancing up from his furious texting. The rest of them were quiet, watching with a mixture of concern and amusement as he disappeared from sight.

“Where the hell is he going?” Iwaizumi finally said.

“Most likely to join Makki.”

“Tooru, should we send him directions? Without someone with him, he might get lured away by Kenma and the other wisps!”

“We’ll text him some reminders and I’m sure Makki will help him out. He’ll be fine!”

“He’s never left without grabbing one of our cupcakes,” Akaashi mused, tapping his finger against his lips. “Ah, speaking of which, would you two like one? They’re fresh.”

“What’s a cupcake?”

“You poor kid,” Iwaizumi said as he ruffled his fingers into Shoyou’s hair. “Keiji, please get him one.”

“That _kid_ is hundreds of years old, at least, Iwa-chan.”

“And one for this idiot with the old man kink.”

“Coming right up,” Akaashi snickered and whistled a cute tune. Two cupcakes decorated like fluffy ducklings waddled across the counter toward them, much to Oikawa and Shoyou’s delight.

“So cute!” Oikawa squealed, whipping out his phone to take a few pictures. “Oh no! I’m out of battery.”

“Whaaaa?! Akaashi-san!! They’re amazing! I just want to snuggle them tight and never let them go.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary. We can always make more.”

A glint shining off metal grabbed their attention and a wave of horror rushed over everyone as Akaashi raised his knife.

“Keiji, no!” Iwaizumi shouted, wrapping his arms around the cupcake ducklings to protect them.

“I got him!” Bokuto shouted as he grabbed Akaashi’s wrist and wrapped his other arm around his waist. “Save them, Hajime!”

“They’re just cupcakes!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I hope you all enjoyed this wild ride of silliness and fluff! I know I didn't give Matsukawa his own pairing but I'll leave that up to your imagination. Whether he made it to the forest to find some mystical booty or met his ideal person on the train there and never made it to the forest, I guarantee you he ended up with somebody. He's Matsukawa, certified hottie. Thank you for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> What's hilarious is that I wasn't planning on even doing this prompt, I couldn't think of anything to do with it. I wanted to write something for a different ship and asked some friends for ideas. What came from that is a three-part story that takes place in the same universe featuring three different ships, and the first story just happened to fit perfectly for the immortality prompt, ha ha ha.  
> So, you can expect two more chapters with some very surprising ships, he he.


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